
National Punch Day is observed each year on September 20. While there are several directions this day could go, such as honoring tools used to make holes or a day created to throw a few punches at a punching bag, we will direct you toward the thirst quenching version of the delicious, refreshing drink. National Punch Day is listed as one of many American Food Holidays.
A wide assortment of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, fall into the category of punch. Often made with a combination of fruit juice and a carbonated beverage, a punch is served at parties weddings and other celebrations in large, wide bowls known as punch bowls.
- Fruit punch was introduced from India to the United Kingdom. This happened in the early seventeenth century, and from there its use spread to other countries.
- The word punch is a loanword from Hindi panch (meaning five). The drink was originally made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water and tea or spices. The original drink was named paantsch.
- The term punch was first recorded in British documents in 1632. At the time, most punches were of the wassail type made with a wine or brandy base.
- Around 1655, Jamaican rum came into use and the ‘modern’ punch emerged. By 1671, documents make references to punch houses.
- Punches are extremely common among parties for college and university students. These punches tend to be highly alcoholic and made with cheap ingredients.
- In 1934 A.W. Leo, Tom Yates and Ralph Harrison developed the first Hawaiian Punch recipe in a converted garage in Fullerton, Calif. They wanted a tropical-tasting syrup to add to their line of ice cream toppings sold under the trade name Pacific Citrus Products Company.
- The U.S. Patent Office gave Leo’s Hawaiian Punch its trademark on June 9, 1938. The “Leo’s” was dropped several years later.
- It wasn’t until 1946 — more than ten years after Hawaiian Punch’s debut — that it was finally marketed as a beverage.
Artist Martin Mandelblatt is credited with the creation of Punchy, who appeared as a cartoon character on television for the first time in February 1962. Punchy became an instant advertising success and brand identifier for young people.
- Punchy’s “How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?” tagline personified the brand’s image and advertising, and was copyrighted in 1964.
- In 1992, a clever presidential promotion campaign promoted Punchy as the favored candidate (“No one else has the punch”). While Punchy didn’t win the election, his popularity soared.
- Largest Punch Bowl-world record set by Courvoisier and Bompas & Parr. They created “The Architectural Punchbowl”, a whole room transformed into a giant punchbowl holding 4,000 liters of a new cocktail called ‘The Emperor’s Shrub.
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