Skip to main content

Jenkins Punch

My granny always made this punch. She practically raised me; we lived with her until my daddy bought us a house and moved us out when I was still a little boy. My grandmother was a hardworking Southern woman, always cooking and cleaning her house. This is her recipe for as refreshing and fragrant a summer drink as you can imagine—a really intensely flavored version of sweet tea, if you will. It’s a family favorite to this day. (It doesn’t call for Crown Royal, and I don’t even mind.) One thing, though: My granny’s last name wasn’t Jenkins, and she never did tell me who this recipe is originally named after; that’s a mystery for the ages, I guess.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

1 quart cold water
2 cups sugar
Grated zest of 3 lemons
Juice of 3 lemons
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups brewed tea, cooled

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, combine 1 quart cold water with the sugar and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and let boil for 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat and let cool completely.

    Step 2

    Add the lemon juice, the extracts, and the tea to the cooled liquid. Stir to mix well. Refrigerate.

    Step 3

    Serve cold, over plenty of ice.

Cover of the cookbook Smokin' With Myron Mixon featuring the chef and a double rack of saucy glazed ribs.
Reprinted with permission from Smokin' with Myron Mixon by Myron Dixon with Kelly Alexander, © 2011 Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.
Read More
Like tiny tomato galettes and chimichurri grilled shrimp.
Like swordfish steaks with tomatoes and Peruvian-style tofu.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Punchy, make-ahead chimichurri adds a bright, fresh finish to this easy summer dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
Thinly sliced and cooked hot and fast, pork tenderloin is the juicy, cook-quicking weeknight champion of this vegetable-heavy stir-fry.
With a crisp crust, garlicky mayo, and a juicy slice of tomato.
The secret to juicy grilled chicken, a sheet-cake swap for banana pudding, and more reasons to light up the grill and have people over all summer long.