Bushmills Irish Punch

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 05/13/21
Bushmills Irish Punch Warm Drink Recipe

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 1/2 pints

You can think of this Irish punch recipe as an amplified hot toddy designed to serve a small party. It is delicious, easy, and a great drink for all of your winter entertaining needs.

The Irish punch pairs Irish whiskey with Scotch whisky. These form the base on which a little sweet and sour are added and it is all warmed up to create a fun, aromatic brew that all of your guests will love.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Irish whiskey

  • 1/4 cup Scotch whisky

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 1/2 cup sour mix

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons honey

  • 4 to 5 dashes bitters

  • Grated nutmeg, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium-sized pot, combine the whiskeys, water, sour mix, honey, and bitters

  3. Over medium heat, warm the mixture, stirring regularly. It should take just 10 minutes or so, but you can turn down the heat to let it brew longer (the flavor gets better with time).

  4. Transfer to a large heatproof punch bowl.

  5. Serve in coffee mugs or Irish coffee glasses, garnishing each drink with shaved nutmeg. Enjoy.

Tips

  • If you're using a punch bowl, make sure it's heat resistant so the glass doesn't crack.
  • This punch can also easily be heated in a slow cooker and left on low heat so it stays nice and warm. This is particularly nice if you add extra spices because it will fill your home with a warm and inviting aroma.
  • Sour mix is very easy to make at home because it's essentially a lemon-lime-flavored simple syrup. Dissolve 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of boiling water, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in 1 cup each of lemon and lime juices, then let it cool before bottling.

Recipe Variations

  • While the recipe, as written, was designed to serve six 4-ounce servings, it can easily be doubled or tripled to fit any size crowd. Keep the ingredients in proportion as you increase the volume.
  • Instead of sour mix, use 2 ounces​ lemon juice and 2 ounces​ simple syrup in the punch.
  • Add a few clove-studded orange slices and cinnamon sticks to the bowl for a little extra flavor and aroma. Both make excellent garnish options as well. You can add even more flavor by tossing a sachet of mulling spices into the punch as it warms.

How Strong Is an Irish Punch?

Both of the punch's liquors are bottled at 80 proof, which would make you think that it's going to be a strong punch. Yet, all of the nonalcoholic ingredients bring it down to a very mild 14 percent ABV (28 proof). It's just a little more potent than a glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
87 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 87
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 16mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)