The White Widow – a Punch Abruzzo cocktail
It seems to me that this coming summer everyone will be in Abruzzo.
Some friends are traveling to visit their ancestral villages and towns. Others, like food writer Domenica Marchetti, are leading culinary tours – taking hungry travelers through this pastoral land, sampling local cuisine and visiting artisanal food makers along the way. Travel to this largely undiscovered region is picking up, and that can only be a good thing. The cuisine, rich and borne of the land, is at once hearty and delicate, nuanced and bold. Cheeses, wines, olive oils and truly divine pastries – Abruzzo has it all. Some of Italy’s finest dried pasta comes from there too. And so does one of my favorite liquors, Punch Abruzzo.
Consider for a moment Abruzzo’s majestic Gran Sasso, a giant of a mountain topped with snow. From its peak you can see two seas and most of central Italy. Now pick up a bottle of Punch Abruzzo. This versatile spirit, an intoxicating deep brown elixir perfumed with a fruitcake-like essence, anise, nutmeg, and orange, with whispers of rum, coffee, and tobacco, can be served neat, straight up or warmed. It is wonderful as a component of cocktails or long drinks like this one, an Italian egg cream reminiscent of the famous North Dakota oilmen’s drink, the Smith and Curran. But in our house instead of the Smith and Curran’s dark creme de cacao, we use Punch Abruzzo.
I did consider calling this one a Gran Sasso, after the aforementioned mountain, but instead I settled on White Widow, after the wives left behind by husbands who came to America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While some of these men were emigrants, intending to make a permanent life in America, many others were not, preferring instead the life of the migrant worker. With no intention of moving permanently to America, yet unable to find work at home in Italy, or having lost their own land there, they sailed in search of lucrative employment. Known as Birds of Passage, for their many trans-Atlantic voyages back and forth between Italy and America, they built a better life for their families in Italy by coming here and building America – her streets, bridges, subway systems, what today we call “infrastructure.” Barefooted workers stamped the asphalt streets. Masons built churches and public buildings. Artists worked in stone and wood.
Their wives, left alone, often for years, were essentially single parents, waiting patiently while their husbands carved a life far away. They lived as widows would, but in fact were married women whose husbands still lived, and thus they were known as White Widows. With great conviction these women took up the work traditionally performed by their husbands, be it tilling the fields, tending and harvesting the crops for their subsistence lifestyle or working in what ever business, if any, their husbands left behind. To honor these women and their fortitude I decided to name this drink after them.
If you like, you can substitute vodka for the club soda, in which case, and I can hear it now, you will be saying “Adri, that sounds an awful lot like a White Russian from where I’m standing.” To that I say “Well then you must not be standing on Abruzzese soil.” Sure it’s close; Punch Abruzzo and a White Russian’s Kahlua do share flavor notes; however, where Kahlua is predominantly coffee, Punch Abruzzo is a far more sumptuous and complex blend.
How ever you make this drink, with club soda or vodka, or whether you layer the ingredients or serve it already combined, I say “Cin! Cin! And, consider a trip to Abruzzo this summer.
White Widow
makes 2
Serve this one with a soda spoon and a straw.
3 ounces Punch Abruzzo
3 ounces club soda
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon (or to taste) of Vanilla-Orange sugar
OR
1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon orange extract
nutmeg
cracked ice
Pour the cream into a medium bowl, and add the Vanilla-Orange sugar or sugar and extracts. Beat gently until the cream thickens just slightly. Fill two highball glasses about three quarters full with cracked ice. There are two ways to build this one. For the first, where the components are separate when served, divide the Punch Abruzzo between 2 glasses, then add the club soda (1½ ounces to each glass.) Top each with sweetened cream, and finish with a grating of nutmeg.
Alternately, divide the Punch Abruzzo and the sweetened cream between two ice-filled glasses. Top each with club soda, and stir. Finish with a grating of nutmeg.
You may not use all of the cream, but don’t worry. You will probably want more than one of these.
To make Vanilla-Orange Sugar: place 1 cup of granulated sugar in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Use a paring knife to split and spread open a vanilla bean. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean using the dull edge of the paring knife, and drop the seeds into the workbowl. Wrap the scraped bean in plastic wrap and save it for another use. Grate the zest of 2 oranges directly into the workbowl of the processor. Grating directly into the workbowl captures all of the oil, and with it the essence of the orange’s bright flavor. Replace the cover, and process until the sugar is extremely finely ground, about 1 minute. Transfer the sugar to an airtight container. This sugar adds tremendous depth of flavor to cocktails and baked goods, especially nut and sugar cookies. It is extremely finely ground, dissolving easily, a plus for cocktails and other drinks. To use it for cookies, simply place some of the sugar in a broad bowl or on a plate, and roll the cookies, still slightly warm from the oven, in the sugar to liberally coat them. Try making flavored sugars with lemon or other citrus and spices such as cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. The sugar keeps well, and the flavors meld with time.
Punch Abruzzo is available from A Cork Above.
Click here for more on Punch Abruzzo.
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Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Monday, February 16th 2015 at 9:55 pm |
Sounds like a fabulous cocktail, Adri… and I just love the story that went with it!
Monday, February 16th 2015 at 10:04 pm |
Hi Lizzy,
This one is indeed delicious, and I am glad you enjoyed the bit of history that accompanies it. That some Italians had no intention of making America their permanent home is something about which most people are quite unaware. It certainly is a very long way to come to look for work. What a life. I can not even imagine it.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:18 am |
It wouldn’t take much to get me to visit Abruzzo any time of the year. White widow makes me a bit sad but the drink is outstanding!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:15 am |
Hi Maureen,
Abruzzo is so beautiful – don’t let the White Widow make you sad. For the times, they were hard working and forward looking and many went on to make very good lives. They and their husbands were willing to be separated for the proverbial greater good, something in which they heartily believed. Once reunited, they formed a cohesive family. Cheers!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:30 am |
Hello Adri, I am ready to start this weekend early. This week is a short work week due to Chinese New Year and what a better way to start out but with one of these gorgeous and delicious white widows. Sharing of course!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:17 am |
Hi Bam,
I’m with you. Let’s share one and toast the new year! May your new year be happy and filled with much success.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 3:28 am |
What a pretty cocktail and quite a fascinating story. I’m afraid I’m sad to say, but I might need a spot of vodka in mine now and then if I walked in their shoes.
Sam
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:21 am |
Hi Sam,
It is quite a story indeed. I too would probably need some fortification, and this drink is divine with a bit of vodka. However, Punch Abruzzo comes in at 90 proof. Yes, I said 90 proof, so it will clear those blues away all on its own! Cheers!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 4:02 am |
This sounds wonderfully decadent!! I can’t wait to make it. I love these type of drinks as dessert. Grazie per la ricetta!!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:22 am |
Hi Marisa Franca,
This one could most certainly double as dessert. The cream and richly flavored Punch are a terrific combo. I hope you try this, and thank you for stopping by. Un bacio a te!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 5:55 am |
Adri I’ve never heard of Abruzzo Punch, the creamy drink looks so good. We love Italy have been twice, still so many places left to see, and it’s my favorite place on earth.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:25 am |
Hi Angela,
This is one of those little known treasures, a liquor so beloved that before it was imported to the U.S., travelers would wrap a bottle in their clothing and stow it in their luggage for the trip home. I hope you try some. It is divine, and best of all would be to taste it right there on a chilly night in Abruzzo. Next time you travel to Italy, visit Abruzzo. You will be glad you did. Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 6:57 am |
Adri, the thing I love best of all in the photos is your signature on the straw!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 7:04 am |
Ciao Julia,
I never can resist that! I say it’s time to toast all the women left behind. As difficult as it must have been for the menfolk to leave – at least for their first voyage – for the women it must have been even more difficult. What a life, and yet they were filled with enough hope to press on. Amazing.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 10:48 am |
You know we share a love of all things Abruzzese, especially the liqueurs. Punch Abruzzo has to be Numero Uno. When I was growing up, my mom would put a splash in her french toast batter and also in her ciambellone. And of course I do the same. We used to drizzle it on ice cream, too. We’ve just had our first significant snowfall here in VA, and I think this cocktail would be a nice way to celebrate. OH, and thank you kindly for the shout-out, my friend.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:33 pm |
Ciao Domenica,
Like I said, separated at birth. Numero Uno is right. This stuff is the elixir of the gods. Bart, my Calabrese husband is even a convert! I hope you enjoy the cocktail. I think we’ll have one tonight as we watch “The Italian Americans” on PBS. As for the shout-out, it my pleasure entirely to spread the word.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 11:53 am |
You always have the best cocktails, and I love the history behind the ingredients + the area that inspired/created them. This looks SO perfectly delicious. And I love the picture with the lipstick on the straw – gorgeous!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:35 pm |
Hi Amy,
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the history. I think it is fascinating to think that these people left their families thousands of miles away, across an entire ocean. Consider how desperate their circumstances must have been. I hope you give this one a try – and wear some lipstick!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:13 pm |
What a delicious cocktail and a special story, thanks a lot my dear !
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 12:36 pm |
Ciao Chiara,
Thanks! Have you ever tried Punch Abruzzo? I bet you would enjoy it, and I am glad you enjoyed the story of the White Widows. What lives these people led, and how hard they all worked. It really is something. Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 2:25 pm |
It’s easy to imagine the romance that inspired this drink. Or I guess from the widow’s perspective I should say lack of romance. GREG
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 2:53 pm |
Hi,
Easy indeed. Can you even imagine the all of the farewells at the docks? I have visions of decks packed with men ready to cross an entire ocean – and some of the men did it again and again. I hope all is well with you, and thanks for stopping by.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 3:29 pm |
I would be more than happy to have a punch abbruzzo. I would even be happier to have it IN Abbruzzo! Now I am thirsty! Oh. It is now happy hour!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 3:32 pm |
Hi Abbe,
No kidding, it sure would be nice to be in Abruzzo. But I’ll have to content myself with Los Angeles – at least for the time being! Thanks for stopping by, and cheers!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 4:18 pm |
The white widow certainly looks inviting
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 9:21 pm |
Ciao Anthony,
Thanks – she’s pretty cool.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 4:51 pm |
What a great story as usual! And oh yes, a little vodka please with the Punch Abruzzo…in honor of all those women of course…even if we won’t be standing and drinking together in Abruzzo:)
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 9:22 pm |
Hi Laney,
I say let’s salute those women with what ever pleases us! Be it vodka, Punch Abruzzo or a Spritz. Cheers!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 8:11 pm |
Club soda for me — this is a pretty hefty drink, and that’d be too much vodka IMO. Sounds like a great drink. And love the name — never knew the term “white widow” before. Really interesting and informative post — thanks.
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 9:24 pm |
Hi John,
Indeed a hit of vodka would put this one way over the top, however I can see that some days might require such heft. But with Punch Abruzzo’s alcoholic content, it is usually sufficient to do the job all on its own. Cheers!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 8:22 pm |
I do love the story behind this cocktail and the White Widow is beautifully presented. I think I might be prone to switching the club soda with a little vodka! xx
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 9:26 pm |
Ciao Hotly,
This is really an interesting bit of history. As I told another reader, we usually think of the Italians who came here as people who intended to make America their permanent home, but some were really committed migrant workers. It is hard for me to imagine the lives they led. I am glad you like this one. I hope you can find some Punch Abruzzo and give it a go. Cin! Cin!
Tuesday, February 17th 2015 at 10:05 pm |
Hi Adri
Any drink that has whipped cream on top is my kind of drink! This sounds so delicious –I must try it!
My husband and I watched the PBS special part one and two called “The Italians” this evening and found it very interesting. The term “white widow” was used and described as you described it. in it. My husband immigrated in the late 1950’s with his parents and siblings, but even at such a late date he and his brother’s first names were changed from Enzo and Gino to more Anglicized names–sigh. It is not easy to be an immigrant.
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 5:22 am |
Hi Pat,
I am glad you liked this one. Bart and I loved the cream too! Aren’t these immigrant stories something? I did not know that as late as the 1950’s people’s names were still being Anglicized. That is terribly disappointing. It just seems so highhanded and disrespectful. My grandfather arrived on these shores in 1913, and his name was left Gaetano. I guess he could count himself fortunate. Can you imagine the lives of the Birds of Passage? Back and forth they traveled. The concept still amazes me. Thanks for stopping by, and cheers!
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 4:35 am |
Well, your story presaged last night’s “The Italian Americans” in explaining what “white widows” were. It was a sad part of their history, to have such economic difficulties that they’d leave their families to “commute” to America. The poverty must have been overwhelming to leave that beautiful region of Abruzzo and their families to seek work so far. Nowadays, Abruzzo has been “found” it’s no wonder it captures your heart. I hope It doesn’t get too “discovered” and overrun with tourists. Thanks for the recipe. Whenever I have had Punch Abruzzo there, it has always been served warm. You have introduced me to several liqueurs and now I need to get my own bottle of this one.
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 5:25 am |
Hi Linda,
For better or worse, Abruzzo is being discovered indeed. For years it languished (or perhaps thrived) in relative obscurity. I used to tell people my grandfather was from Abruzzo, and I’d be greeted by blank stares. Some people said “But I thought you guys were Italian.” And so it goes. But as to the tourism uptick, it will be good for the economy, and bad for the unspoiled nature. That’s progress.
I hope you get a bottle of this. It really is wonderful. A little goes a long way, and that bottle will last quite a while. It’s worth every penny. Cheers!
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 5:38 am |
That is a fantastic looking drink!
Friday, February 20th 2015 at 6:24 am |
Thanks Yummy!
Bart and I really love Punch Abruzzo, so we are alwasy looking for new ways to enjoy it. I hope you give this one a try. Cheers!
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 9:52 am |
Adri, this looks over-the-top delicious. It might look like a White Russian but I can’t imagine that Punch tastes anything like Kahlua based on your eloquent description. I love the touch of orange in your concoction, and the thick, softly whipped cream. Oh my. I’m adding Punch Abruzzo to my list of bar essentials – can’t wait to taste, unfortunately stateside for now.
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 1:52 pm |
Hi Karen,
Oh, but I bet you would love Punch Abruzzo. It is so complex and so delicious. Plus it really packs quite the proverbial punch. Yes. I did say that! I hope you get to try some soon – either here or in Italy. I wish you all the best for 2015. Cheers!
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 6:21 pm |
When Adri says it’s the elixer of the gods, Marie goes out and buys it. I can’t wait to try this, cream and all, then I will splash some in my french toast batter!
Wednesday, February 18th 2015 at 8:44 pm |
Hi Marie,
You will flip for this. And it is fab in baked custard, over ice cream – you name it. Cheers!
Thursday, February 19th 2015 at 8:59 am |
You’re angling to turn me into a real drinker here! Despite the fact that I really can’t handle my alcohol straight-up, when the beverage looks like a legit dessert, and sounds so delightfully sweet and creamy, I just wouldn’t be able to resist a taste. 😉
Thursday, February 19th 2015 at 11:27 am |
Hi Hannah,
Believe it or not, I am not much of a drinker either, but you’d never know it were you to peek inside my liquor cabinet! I have a wide array of liquors, spirits, and aperitivi; you’d think I was an awful lush. This one is dessert worthy, and I hope you give it a try. If you have no Punch Abruzzo, it is awfully good with dark creme de cacao. Cheers!
Thursday, February 19th 2015 at 4:28 pm |
Now that I know what Punch Abruzzo is I must make this drink. I love creamy cocktails this looks amazing.
Friday, February 20th 2015 at 6:18 am |
Hi,Suzanne,
I love these creamy concoctions too. I always say they are sodas for grown-ups! Cheers!
Thursday, February 19th 2015 at 6:44 pm |
I love the history lesson here. I had never heard of the Birds of Passage and I LOVE history. This drink sounds wonderful with fruitcake flavors and scents. You are so creative!
Friday, February 20th 2015 at 6:19 am |
Hi Pam,
I am glad you enjoyed it. The history of immigration to the U.S. is filled with heartwarming and sometime oftentimes wrenching tales. I hope all is well with you! Cheers!
Friday, February 20th 2015 at 6:39 am |
A perfect cocktail for this weekend, can’t wait! 🙂
Friday, February 20th 2015 at 7:40 pm |
I’m going with the vodka version Adri! Lovely post as usual!
Kathi
Saturday, February 21st 2015 at 6:48 am |
Hi Kathi,
Yes, a bit of vodka is good for the soul! Cheers!
Sunday, February 22nd 2015 at 11:31 am |
I’m not sure, I could drink that amount of double cream, but on the snowcapped mountains of Abruzzo I’m willing to give it a try.
Monday, February 23rd 2015 at 5:24 pm |
Hi Mette,
I can never resist double cream. In fact, when I was little we all often went go to our neighborhood ice cream parlor, “The Carousel.” Everyone ordered all manner of treats – banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, ice cream sodas, but I always asked for a bowl of whipped cream. Plain whipped cream (well it was tinted pink…) Imagine that. I guess I never lost my taste for it! Cheers!
Monday, February 23rd 2015 at 7:55 pm |
Any drink that has a fluff of whipped cream like that is one for me. This sounds like a perfect sip for summer.
Tuesday, February 24th 2015 at 5:31 am |
Hi Carolyn,
I am with you on the whipped cream. As much as I love a classic cocktail, say like a Boulevardier, these whipped cream fantasias are great treats. I think of them as dessert in a glass. Cheers!
Thursday, February 26th 2015 at 2:03 am |
Your cocktail sounds delicious!This recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thursday, February 26th 2015 at 10:58 am |
Hi Marcela,
This one really is luscious. I hope you can find some Punch Abruzzo and try it. Cheers!
Friday, February 27th 2015 at 2:39 pm |
Hi Adri, What a luscious quaff, with a compelling story behind it. I am also inspired to make orange-vanilla sugar, which will have countless uses. I’ll have to content myself, however, dreaming of summer of Abruzzo.
Saturday, February 28th 2015 at 1:00 pm |
Hi Nancy,
This one is sort of a melding of the bar and the soda fountain. I bet you will enjoy it. And as for the flavored sugar, it really is wonderful. From cocktails to baked goods, there is no end to how you can use it. It even makes a great addition to a cup of tea with milk. Try making it with lemon also. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope all is well with you!