How to Make the Drinks Aztec Punch and Balaton Cobbler and the History Behind Them

You have probably realized at some point or another but there is more than meets the eye to punch and cobbler respectively. These two drinks share popularity but have very different stories to tell.

Aztec Punch is hot tequila punch from Mexico. Tequila, the town and the Mexican state of Jalisco, gave the distillate from the juice of the agave cactus its name. Tequila is the home of the Mariachi, of the rodeos and of fun, or more often neighboring Guadalajara. The Mariachi of Mexico are wandering street musicians who played genuine folk music in the gala costumes of the landed gentry of the early 19th century. It is said that many tequila mixtures originated in the small cafés around the Mercado de la Libertad, where the country dwellers recover from their work to the accompaniment of loud Mariachi music in the Agave Haziendas. However, the Aztec Punch was invented by a "paleface," when he discovered that the favorite drink of the Toltecs and Aztecs was well-suited for mixing. Here is what you need for 4 to 6 portions:

One bottle Tequila

1/2 stick (5cm or 2 inches) of cinnamon

200ml (7 fl oz / scant cup) grapefruit juice

juice of two lemons

juice of two oranges

freshly squeezed juice of one lime

2 coffee cups of hot sweet black tea

Bring tequila, cinnamon, grapefruit, orange and lime juice to a boil in a pot. Add tea, remove cinnamon stick and serve the punch in prewarmed heatproof glasses. The sweetness of the drink can be regulated by adjusting the amount of sugar in the tea. Connoisseurs also drink the punch without sugar. Aztec Punch is a hot drink for cool evenings.

On the other hand, Balaton Cobbler is a fancy drink from Hungary. A story, half true half legend, of Hungarian Apricot Brandy; "Tovarichi," said a Russian to the town fathers of Kecskemet, "let us drink to the inventor of Barack." "That's no good," said the town fathers, "Barack was invented in Florida. Do you want to drink the USA?" "Then, Tovarichi let us drink to the man who made it famous." "That's no good either," said the town fathers, "that was Edward, Duke of Windsor. Do you want to drink to the royal family?" "Then let us raise our glasses to Karl Marx, Tovarichi." But the Kecskemet town fathers declined on the other hand. "Barack is distilled using apricot stones and contains a little prussic acid. Do you want to drink the father of communism with prussic acide, Brother?" The story goes that the Russian left Kecskemet never to be seen again. For this drink:

Finely crushed ice

2cl (1 1/2 tablespoons) Barack

Palinka

2cl (1 1/2 tablespoons) peach

brandy

2cl (1 1/2 tablespoons) apricot

brandy

Champagne or sparkling dry white wine to top up

to garnish: apricots

peaches

cherries

Fill up a cobbler glass halfway with ice. Add Barack Palinka, peach and apricot brandy and stir well. Decorate with roots and top off the glass with champagne. Serve with a straw for afternoon tea or in the evening.