A sweet arrack liqueur drunk warm with pea soup or cold after dinner. It is made from Batavia arrack imported by the Swedish East India Company from the 1730s, and it is still drunk with Thursday pea soup.
It is built on Batavia arrack, a specific imported distilled spirit, and the commercial bottlings are proprietary blends.
What goes into it
- Batavia arrack — a Javanese sugarcane and red-rice spirit
- sugar
- sometimes brandy or neutral spirit
- water
How it is made
Batavia arrack is blended with sugar syrup and water, sometimes with other spirits, and then rested — historically for years in cask, which softens it considerably. The arrack itself is the whole character, and it comes from Java, which is why the drink is a product of a trading company rather than a Swedish still.
How long it takes: blended and rested, historically for years
How it is eaten
Warm in a small glass with Thursday pea soup and pancakes, or cold after dinner.
History
Made from Batavia arrack imported by the Swedish East India Company from the 1730s; it is still drunk with Thursday pea soup.
Frequently asked questions
What is Swedish punsch?
Swedish punsch is a wine & spirit from Sweden: sweet arrack liqueur drunk warm with pea soup or cold after dinner. Made from Batavia arrack imported by the Swedish East India Company from the 1730s; it is still drunk with Thursday pea soup.
How is Swedish punsch made?
Batavia arrack is blended with sugar syrup and water, sometimes with other spirits, and then rested — historically for years in cask, which softens it considerably. The arrack itself is the whole character, and it comes from Java, which is why the drink is a product of a trading company rather than a Swedish still. It takes blended and rested, historically for years.
Can I make Swedish punsch at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is built on Batavia arrack, a specific imported distilled spirit, and the commercial bottlings are proprietary blends.
What goes into Swedish punsch?
Batavia arrack — a Javanese sugarcane and red-rice spirit, sugar, sometimes brandy or neutral spirit, water.
How is Swedish punsch eaten?
Warm in a small glass with Thursday pea soup and pancakes, or cold after dinner.
