The White Widow – a Punch Abruzzo cocktail

It seems to me that this coming summer everyone will be in Abruzzo.


White Widow-a Punch Abruzzo cocktail


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.


White Widow-a Punch Abruzzo cocktail


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.


White Widow-a Punch Abruzzo cocktail


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-a Punch Abruzzo cocktail

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



Punch Abruzzo is available from A Cork Above.



Click here for more on Punch Abruzzo.


You can also type Punch Abruzzo in the search field at the top of the page for yet more.




White Widow-a Punch Abruzzo cocktail


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.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

96 Comments

  1. Ping from Trisha Thomas:

    Hi Adri — As usual I love all the details in your posts — the pink lipstick on the straw — you can almost imagine the happy woman with the pink lipstick drinking that White Widow. And I love the name White Widow and the story behind it. What courageous women they were. It reminds me a bit of the Widow Walks that we have in the seaside towns in New England — in Gloucester, on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The Widow’s Walks were basically flowerless, roof terraces with a fence around the edge where the wives of whalers would walk back and forth looking out at sea to see if their husbands were coming back or were perhaps lost. The fact that they were called “Widow’s Walks” indicates that many men did not make it back and the women had to shoulder the responsibilities for maintaining the family on their own. Unsung heroines — just like the women in Abruzzo.

    • Ping from Adri:

      Hi Trisha,

      And we think we have problems! When I think of the lives women used to live, I realize I’ve got nothing to gripe about. I am glad you liked this one, and I had a ball with the lipstick. In fact, I have several tubes of brightly colored lipstick that I purchased just for these liquor posts. My prop box overfloweth. And if you come across a bottle of Punch Abruzzo in Rome, grab it. This stuff will keep you warm when Gustavo is traveling. Cheers!

  2. Ping from Maria | Pink Patisserie:

    I love finding out about new liqueurs! This is one I’ve never heard of but it sounds absolutely divine!

    • Ping from Adri:

      Hi Maria,

      Oh my, but Italy is an absolute treasure trove of liquor. From sweet to bitter, there are some truly delicious ones. I hope you have an opportunity to try some Punch Abruzzo. I bet you will love it. Thank you for stopping by, and cheers!

  3. Ping from Karen (Back Road Journal):

    Adri, I’m going to have to look for Punch Abruzzo. Your cocktail sounds great…I know my husband would love it.

  4. Ping from Anny:

    The coctail looks great! I’m sure that it tastes great too. Never made a coctail in my life but I certainly will give it a shot! Thanks, Adri!

  5. Ping from minnie@thelady8home:

    I recently read a book called Shoemaker’s Wife, which gave a glimpse of this separation that many Italian families had to suffer. While I didn’t really take to the book itself as much, this concept stayed with me, and it does make me sad to think of such families. But their dedication, sacrifice and courage also makes one admire them across time and place. This beautiful drink is a perfect tribute to them. I have never heard of it, but I know I can polish all of it in no time and still ask for more.

    • Ping from Adri:

      Hi Minnie,

      I have never heard of the book, but I would like to read it. Thank you for mentioning it. You know, when I think back to how truly difficult life was for these people, what tremendous sacrifices they made, I am really moved. Plus it makes me realize we’ve all got very little to gripe about. I hope all is well with you, and thank you for stopping in and for taking a moment to leave a comment. All the best to you for a terrific new year!

  6. Ping from Frank @Memorie di Angelina:

    You’ve got me curious about Punch Abruzzo… a new one for me, but I really like the taste profile as you describe it.

    • Ping from Adri:

      Hi Frank,

      It really is something. Hot or cold, straight or mixed into a cocktail, added to cake batter, over ice cream or as part of the mixture for dipping French toast, this is one remarkable spirit. I hope you can find some near you. Cheers!

  7. Ping from sue|theviewfromgreatisland:

    Oh wow, I want one of these right now, and I haven’t even had breakfast! Love the name!

    • Ping from Adri:

      Hi Sue,

      This one is tasty indeed, and I have to say that Punch Abruzzo does in fact make appearances at breakfast in our home – it is a delightful addition to the batter for French toast! Thank you for stopping in. Cheers!

  8. Ping from Tania@ MyKitchenStories:

    I have never heard of this drink but I certainly have heard of Abruzzo a wonderful place with amazing history. I’d love to try a white widow

  9. Ping from MADONNA/AKA/MS. LEMON:

    Yum…Double duty dessert. 🙂

  10. Ping from Mark:

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! Extremely tasty and refreshing ))

  11. Ping from easy video recipes:

    My favourite thing to make in the kitchen!

  12. Ping from Lynne @ CookandBeMerry:

    What a sweet story about the White Widows and such a good idea to name your drink after them. It sounds so delicious and the fizz from the club soda just adds something special. Yum.

    • Ping from Adri:

      Ciao Lynne,

      Can you imagine what life was like for those women? It must have been so difficult. This drink certainly is good, however. Thanks for stopping by, and cheers!

  13. Ping from giovanna bianco:

    Golosissimo il tuo cocktail, perfetto per questo periodo. Complimenti!!!

  14. Ping from Julie @ Cooks with Cocktails:

    I have never tried Punch Abruzzo and Ive never seen it anywhere, although I havent looked for it so… 🙂 I will now and Ill be trying this cocktail with the vodka. Looks delicious and I love the name.

    • Ping from Adri:

      Benvenuta Julie,

      Punch Abruzzo is a uniquely Italian liquor. I hope you have an opportunity to try it. It can be hard to find, but A Cork Above in Florida always has this divine elixir in stock. Thank you so much for stopping by. Cheers!

  15. Ping from Amanda Taylor:

    This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I want to cook it.

  16. Ping from Daniela:

    This cocktail sounds fantastic and reminds me to beautiful trips we made to the Abruzzos 2 years ago.

  17. Ping from Carl Wright:

    I must confess Adri, I have not read too many food blogs, but this one might be an exception. Descriptions such as “hearty and delicate, divine pastries and intoxicating deep brown elixir” was in fact craving for some of this wonderful food and drink.

    That White Widow drink looks SO absolutely, incredibly inviting. It is a work of art, and I want to try one, and I don’t usually drink…haha!

    Amazing story behind the White Widow. In Canada, the Italian tradesmen are renowned for their impeccable stonemason and bricklaying work.

    So nice to come over to your blog. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    ~Carl~

  18. Ping from Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella:

    I’ve had Abruzzo pasta and it is wonderful! I tried to buy some in Rome before we went home but I couldn’t find the brand that we had. Meanwhile this cocktail looks divine! 😀

    • Ping from Adri:

      Ciao Lorraine,

      Some of the finest pasta does indeed come from Abruzzo. They grow some magnificent wheat, and the water is pure and clean. And as for the cocktail, I say cheers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment may take some time to appear.

Content Protected