Oleo Saccharum. The secret to amazing punches. Oleo saccharum translates to “oil sugar” and was a critical ingredient in historical punches. The premise is based on sugar’s ability to extract oils, so in this case, the fresh oils from citrus peel produces an extremely fragrant base sweetener that will revolutionize your punch game.

To make oleo saccharum, simply use a peeler to skin one citrus fruit (avoid the white pith), and cover with sugar (I use 1oz for thinner skin citrus like Meyer lemon, but you can go up to 2oz for larger/thicker skinned citrus). Muddle well to start the oil extraction, then let it sit covered for a few hours, up to a couple days. After, you’ll notice a pool of liquid in the container. This is your liquid gold.

I paired my oleo with Benham’s Gin for this tasty punch. To enhance the botanicals in this gin, I incorporated Meyer lemons as my oleo and juice, with some star anise for depth and warmth. To keep the fresh floral profile, I added some lavender and sage. Delicious!

Basic punch template – serves 2, easily scaled up

• 4oz gin (experiment with any base spirit of choice)
• Oleo from 1 meyer lemon with ~1oz sugar
• 2oz meyer lemon juice
• Splash of bubbly (soda, champagne, cider)
• Couple dashes of bitters (I used orange)
• Aromatic garnishes to continue to infuse flavors into your punch (I used a lavender tincture, star anise, sage, and slices of Meyer lemon)

Mix ingredients with lots of ice, and enjoy!