Charles Dickens loves a good punch, and the alcoholic concoctions make appearances in many of his novels. The perhaps least fortunate of his characters, Bob Cratchit, drinks a punch made of gin and lemon. Although the text only refers to two ingredients, its likely referencing a much more complicated mixed drink—Slate investigates the recipe the Cratchits drank to forget their troubles.
Getting Drunk with Bob Cratchit
Ian MacAllen
Ian MacAllen is the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American (Rowman & Littlefield, April 2022). His writing has appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Southern Review of Books, The Offing, 45th Parallel Magazine, Little Fiction, Vol 1. Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He tweets @IanMacAllen and is online at IanMacAllen.com.