A Juneteenth of Joy and Resistance
One of the chef Edouardo Jordan’s fond memories is making the punch for family celebrations; he’d add layers of fresh fruit and juices to Hawaiian Punch or Tropical Punch Kool-Aid. Red drinks are a staple at Juneteenth gatherings for African-Americans across the U.S. The color is a reminder of the red kola nuts and bissap (commonly known as hibiscus tea), which made their way to the Americas as part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Cognac salutes black World War II soldiers’ love affair with the spirit and its continued popularity among African-American spirit drinkers, but any dark rum or whiskey is an excellent substitution. Find the best ripe strawberries for the simple syrup, and look for pineapple and pomegranate juices with no added sugar.
Featured in: A Juneteenth Of Joy And Resistance.
Red is a color that is seen everywhere during Juneteenth. You will find it as red soda water, strawberry pies, red velvet cake and in red beans and rice. The classic color symbolizes blood lost during the struggle for emancipation or the hibiscus tea that was frequently drunk by slaves during celebrations, depending on who you talk to.
Juneteenth Red Punch Cocktail
Strawberry Syrup:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sliced (unpeeled) fresh ginger
In a medium saucepan, bring strawberries, sugar, ginger and 3/4 cup water to a simmer over low heat and cook for 15 minutes until liquid reduces. (If it starts to boil, lower the heat as needed.) Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let it cool to room temperature.
Strain cooled syrup through a fine-mesh strainer, mashing the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible. (You should have about 1 cup.) Refrigerate until ready to use. (The syrup will last for 1 week.)
Cocktail:
6 oz. strawberry syrup, cooled
4 1/2 oz. Cognac
3 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
3 oz. unsweetened pomegranate juice
2 oz. lime juice
3 oz. ginger beer
ice, for serving
12 oz. dry sparkling wine
fresh strawberry, pineapple, or crystalized ginger to garnish
Batch the cocktail: In a large mason jar or pitcher, combine 6 ounces syrup with the Cognac, juices and ginger beer. Stir with a wooden spoon and seal. (You can mix it up and refrigerate to 1 day in advance.)
When ready to serve, fill six old-fashioned glasses with ice. Stir the batched cocktail (in case it settled while chilling) and divide it equally among glasses. Top each glass with 2 ounces wine and garnish, if desired.
