Royalty had it flowing from lawn fountains and poets imbibed freely.

Punch, once a relic of the past, is now hip and trendy, according to Michelle Hunt and Laura Panter of the Toronto-based Martini Club.

Punch is the perfect libation to serve at your holiday soiree because “it can be made ahead and you won’t be stuck in the kitchen mixing drinks for your guests all night,” advises Panter.

Hunt says punches have become trendy since bar chefs in London, England became interested in exploring old rituals around drinking. She adds punches are usually well-made, balanced drinks. Think of them as a collective cocktail.

Having a punch party will put you out in front of the crowd, according to the Martini Club duo, who have been in the mixology business for 15 years. “Your guests will be very impressed; it seems like very fancy bartending,” says Hunt. The secret is punches are easy to make, a cinch to serve and wonderful to drink – hot or cold.

Pair them with some heat-and-serve appetizers from President’s Choice, like PC Shrimp Lollipops or PC Shrimp Mini Hors D’Oeuvres Collection that are restaurant-fancy but super simple to dish up. Add a simple tray of artisan cheeses -- like the PC Blue Cheese wedge made of 100% Canadian milk and said to compare favourably with Italian gorgonzola -- with high-end crackers, exotic fruits and sugared nuts and your guests will feel a bit pampered.

Your creativity will shine when you come up with some unique ways to serve the punch. You may just want to use that punch bowl set you received as a wedding gift that has never come out of storage, but you could also use any big, beautiful bowl.

Serving a hot punch and a cold one will give guests a choice and the warm versions are wonderful for chasing away the winter chills. Panter recommends using a samovar to serve hot punch in an exotic way. You could also pick up vintage punch bowls at the thrift shop and give your party a Victorian aura. Mix up a batch of Charles Dickens Hot Gin Punch (recipe below) to amplify the effect.

Hot or cold, punch is the way to go this season for a fun, stress-free holiday party.

CANADIAN HOLIDAY PUNCH

Ingredients:

1-750ml bottle Canadian whisky

1 cup Madeira or port

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

2 oz. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. ginger

1L fresh (cloudy) apple juice or apple cider

1 cup pineapple juice

6 cinnamon sticks

6 cloves

2tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbsp. honey

Directions:

Bring to a simmer for at least 25 minutes. Strain out liquid and place in a heatproof serving vessel. Serve in teacups and garnish each with an orange slice.

DICKENS HOT GIN PUNCH

Ingredients:

2.5 bottles Hendrick's gin

2 bottles Madeira wine,

500 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1.5 pineapples

2 oranges (only for the zests)

10 lemon zests, 10 cloves

10 cinnamon sticks

2 or 3 spoons cinnamon powder

50 grams juniper berry

1 wine glass of red vermouth

100 grams brown sugar

200 grams honey

Directions

Bring to a simmer for at least 25 minutes. Strain out liquid and place in a heatproof serving vessel. Serve in teacups and garnish each with an orange slice.

FESTIVE PUNCH

Directions:

To a punchbowl, add 1-375 ml Vodka or strawberry infused vodka , 2 cups frozen (thawed) strawberries, 1 cup frozen (thawed) cranberries, ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup vanilla simple syrup, 1 cup peach juice and 1 cup passion fruit juice. Before serving, add 4 cups hard ice cubes and 2 cups Prosecco or ginger ale. Stir until chilled.

CLASSIC EGG NOG PUNCH

Directions:

In a very large bowl, beat 12 egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add 1 ½ cups superfine sugar to yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in 4 cups milk and 1 cup cream. Add 2 cups bourbon, ¼ cup dark rum, and 1 cup cognac, stirring constantly. Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip 2 cups heavy cream until stiff, and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

(Recipes courtesy of The Martini Club)