For his take on Champagne punch, Dale DeGroff adapted a popular 20th-century recipe, which he used to serve during his tenure at New York’s iconic Rainbow Room. To a base of Cognac, DeGroff works in a slew of fresh fruit (pineapple, orange, grapefruit and lemon), plus Bénédictine and maraschino liqueur.
Classic Champagne Punch
Dale DeGroff

Ingredients
Servings: 30-40
- 1 cup maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
- 2 cups Bénédictine
- 3 cups Cognac, VSOP or XO
- 6 bottles Champagne, well chilled
- 4 cups soda water
- 1 pineapple, peeled and cut into cubes
- 6 oranges, cut into six pieces each
- 2 grapefruits, peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 lemons, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 cup sugar
Garnish: Orange slices, pineapple wedges
Directions
- Muddle the fruit and sugar with a cup of water.
- Pour the maraschino liqueur, Bénédictine and Cognac over the crushed fruit and mix well.
- Cover and allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for several hours.
- Remove the punch from the refrigerator and stir.
- Strain the punch into a large punch bowl and add the chilled Champagne and club soda along with ice.
- Serve in wine glasses over ice and garnish with orange slices and pineapple wedges.