Photo: Brian Leatart (LA Times)
Wyatt Peabody is a writer for the Los Angeles Times. He recently wrote about a resurgence in punch in bars around L.A. His family drinks ponche navideño during the Christmas holiday. It's a typically Mexican drink made with tejocote.
Ponche Navideño
20 tejocotes (when available)
10 guayaba (Mexican guava)
3 apples
3 pears
3 oranges
2 1/2 lbs sugar cane
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 lb ciruela pasa (prunes)
1 1/2 tamarindo (tamarind)
3 sticks cinnamon
½ cup whole cloves
2 cups piloncillo (brown sugar)
1 cup Del Maguey Minero Mezcal
2 cup Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
2 gallons water
Bring water to boil. Add fruit, which has been chopped into medium-sized chunks. Add additional ingredients and reduce to medium heat (approximately 30-40 minutes). Let simmer for several hours, stir and adjust batch for spice and sweetness.