Flaming Holiday Punch

How to (safely) impress your guests with a flaming and festive spiced punch.

By
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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Updated November 16, 2023
Side view of flaming punch

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Why It Works

  • Using a heatproof Dutch oven and making sure to ignite the punch in a well ventilated area (away from any flammable materials) ensures a a safe and fun spectacle.
  • The flames are not only for show: They toast the spices and extract the natural oils from the orange peel to create an incredible spiced citrus aroma in the final punch.

If you're planning to host holiday parties this season, you really need a beverage option that not only guarantees holiday spirit, but is relatively easy (and affordable) to prepare and comes with a built-in floor show.

I've been mixing variations of a Flaming Holiday Punch (known in some circles as "English Bishop") every December for years now. The base recipe is from Esquire's Handbook for Hosts, from 1949, which is nice on its own but quite open to improvisation. The ingredients are a cinch: a bottle of aged rum (something with a little body and character to it—Appleton Extra is good here, as are Matusalem Gran Reserva, Mount Gay Eclipse or Cockspur—warmed in a hot-water bath to avoid any unpleasantness that could come with hot flammables on a stovetop), poured into a heat-proof Dutch oven or heat-proof punch bowl over baked oranges studded with cloves. Toss in a little sugar and some holiday spice, turn down the lights before you apply a match to the hot liquid (careful!) and conversation is pretty much guaranteed to stop.

Overhead view of flaming punch

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

In addition to the ooh-and-aah factor, the flames play a couple more roles in the punch: first, they flare the cloves, orange oil and other spices, creating a fragrance that could be bottled and sold as "Essence of Yuletide," and they also knock down the alcohol level of the punch somewhat, so the potency isn't too overpowering for the more occasional drinkers. To douse the flames (and make the punch more palatable), simply pour in some warmed apple cider, then serve.

To convert the English Bishop into a Farmer's Bishop, simply substitute apple brandy for the rum (an excellent alternative, I say from experience). You can also twiddle with the sweetener; use demerara sugar for a little richness, or swap out some of the sugar for maple syrup or allspice liqueur.

Last year just before Christmas, Boston bartender Josie Packard prepared this punch for Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC. Josie's version added the fresh-squeezed juice from two oranges and two lemons to the cider, along with a little hot water to blunt the acidity of the fruit juice, and used equal parts brandy and rum for the liquor (she also squeezed orange peels over the flame for additional pyrotechnics and flavor—not at all bad idea).

December 2010

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated with more accurate measurements and safety language to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Flaming Holiday Punch

Prep 10 mins
Cook 50 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 20 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 small oranges (about 1 1/4 pounds; 566g), divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3 tablespoons whole cloves (about 1/2 ounce; 15g) 

  • One 750ml bottle aged rum

  • 2 quarts (1.9L) apple cider

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar,(1 3/4 ounces; 50g) plus extra to taste

  • 2 cups (473ml) boiling water (optional, should you wish for further dilution)

Directions

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (177℃). Slice 1 orange into thin rounds; set aside and reserve for garnish. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg; set aside.

    Overhead view of slicing oranges

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  2. Stud the remaining 4 oranges with the whole cloves by inserting the pointed end of the clove through the orange peel until only the bud protrudes. Slice the studded oranges in half crosswise. Transfer the orange halves, cut side down, to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake studded oranges until soft and cut-side is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. 

    Overhead view of studding oranges with cloves

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

  3. Warm the rum by placing the bottle in a pot of hot (not boiling) water for 10 minutes or so. 

    Overhead view of heating a bottle of rum

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  4. While the rum warms, heat the cider in a large saucepan over medium until steamy; pour into a pitcher and have ready for use.

    Overhead view of pouring punch into pitcher

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  5. When ready to ignite the punch, pour the warmed rum into a large heatproof Dutch oven (off heat) or heatproof punch bowl and whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Stir in roasted orange halves and transfer the Dutch oven to a well ventilated open area, away from flammable materials (on a clean stovetop with all burner off is fine).

    Overhead view of pouring oranges into pot

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  6. Dim lights for effect, then, using a heatproof ladle, scoop up a small amount of the rum. Holding the ladle away from the Dutch oven (and your face, and the curtains, and the dog), light the scoop of rum using a kitchen match -- if necessary, add a little high-proof rum to aid in ignition.

    Overhead view of ladle on fire

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  7. Carefully drizzle the flaming rum in the ladle into the Dutch oven, igniting the rest of the rum in the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the spice mixture, one pinch at a time, into the flames. (be careful, the flames may pop.)

    Two image collage of flames dripping into pot and sprinkling spice mix over pot

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  8. After a minute or two of burning, or whenever you're tired of the spectacle, douse the flames by gently pouring the hot cider (and hot water if using), over the flames with the ladle as you go. The flames may not immediately go out, but keep stirring and as the alcohol is diluted, they'll soon flicker and die. If needed, carefully place the lid on the Dutch oven to fully extinguish the flames. 

    Side view of dousing flames of punch with cider

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Special equipment

heatproof large Dutch oven or heatproof punch bowl, heatproof ladle, baking pan, pitcher

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
89 Calories
0g Fat
14g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 89
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 40mg 199%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 106mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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