Trendy Entertaining: Punch (and other drinks)

Punch is everywhere these days - in glasses and on the bookshelf. Earlier this year, I was inspired to buy myself a big, lovely punchbowl (vintage and a little beat up, since the real things are kind of scary expensive) and this week, I've been wishing that we were having a New Year's Eve party, just so I could experiment with a big batch of punch.

Yesterday's G&G newsletter (from which the top image is pulled) featured a bracing combination of tea, rum, brandy, bourbon and champagne called the Chatham Artillery Punch - named after the Georgia military unit that supposedly came up with the concoction (though I'm guessing the after-effects feel like artilerry, too).

Speaking of drinking, Social Primer is writing a social graces "bill of rites" and his most recent installment is called, "Handle Your Liquor." It's funny and useful, though it's admittedly geared towards men. Specifically, I think women everywhere should ignore the advice not to drink champagne cocktails, or cocktails at all, for that matter (SP prefers "drinks" over "cocktails" and while I see his point, "cocktail" is too fun a word to banish from my vocabulary.)

Whatever your libation, have fun celebrating tonight and have a happy New Year!