We have a great USBG chapter here in Austin which is headed up by the talented David Alan, A.K.A. the Tipsy Texan.
For the Second Annual "Punchaoke" event, punches and karaoke were of course the entertainments of choice. The boozy, flowing bowls, along with the ..."heartfelt" renditions of everyone's favorite songs kept us all well-quenched and well-entertained. The kicker? The debauchery was enjoyed guilt-free -- the event aimed to raise money for NYC bars damaged by hurricane Sandy, as well as for Murray Stenson, a Seattle-based barman suffering from a heart ailment.
People opened their pocket books for raffle tickets and local companies donated prizes for the lucky winners. All told, nearly $5000 was raised and good times were had by all.
We were happy to partner with locally-based Treaty Oak Distilling to donate a few Austin Gin & Tonic packages, pairing their Waterloo gin with our Spiced Tonic Syrup.
Above, a small section of the winnable swag, a 100 mph knife making quick work of smoked turkey, and eager punch goers.
Perhaps the biggest fanfare of the evening was the hosting venue itself, with the brilliant Aaron Franklin graciously opening the doors of Franklin BBQ for the party. Franklin’s expertly smoked brisket -- seasoned simply with salt and pepper -- is what Texas BBQ is all about.
Fool’s Gold Punch (16 servings)
• (1) 750 mL bottle white rum (Recommended: Flor de Caña’s 4 Yr. Extra Dry)
• 0.5 tbsp Masala Chai tea.
• (2) 8 oz. bottles Texas Grapefruit Shrub
• 12 oz. Fino Sherry
• 3 C water
Add tea to the rum, shake and allow 6-8 hrs for infusion. Filter out the tea (a coffee filter works well) and combine all of the ingredients in a punch bowl. Add a large block of ice to the bowl.
