Halloween parties are great but hosting can be a lot of work. This punch, from the folks at Virtue Cider in Fennville, Michigan, is perfect for ensuring a stress-free night.
Utilizing the Percheron, a Norman-inspired farmhouse cider, Virtue communications manager and cocktail co-creator Kim Vavrick says the cider “has a bit of sweetness but also complexity which makes for a dynamic cocktail.”
The cider uses a blend of last season’s apples, aged in French oak barrels and finished with fresh-pressed juice to add a little sweetness.
“Percheron is our version of the complex French farmhouse ciders that we love,” Vavrick says. “It’s semi-dry with a bit of funkiness and it’s one of our oldest and most celebrated ciders.”
The high-acid Michigan apples featured give the cider its tartness and full-bodied flavor. Inspired by the Percheron horse, the horse breed which traditionally carried apples from orchard to orchard in Normandy, France, the cider proudly touts a bit of “farm funk” to its apple-forward palate.
For Vavrick, this punch is perfect for Halloween parties and sharing with friends. “It tastes like fall,” she proclaims. “It’s got a bit of sparkle from the ginger beer and funkiness from the Percheron that makes for a mysterious and intriguing cocktail. Guests will be asking what’s in it for sure.”
Add a few ingredients to the cider in a bowl and you’ve got yourself a punch that’ll get everyone up and doing the Time Warp in no time.
Percheron Punch
Serves 6-8
1 765-milliliter bottle Virtue Cider Percheron
8 cups fresh apple juice
3 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
1 1/2 cups whiskey
1/3 cup lemon juice
3-4 dashes orange bitters
Combine all ingredients together over ice in a punch bowl. To serve, ladle into punch glasses.
