Roman Punch (from W.W. Norton)

I'm going to credit W.W. Norton and their link: http://wwnorton.tumblr.com/post/1313872086/roman-punch
I loved it so I had to share.

Roman Punch
There was a time — when turtle soup was a luxury dish and whiskey was an acceptable pick-me-up — when garnishing an icy-cold drink with a dollop of meringue seemed perfectly normal. And why not? The meringue floats on the surface like a regal, mysterious iceberg. As you mix it in, the sugar and whites add a touch of cream to what’s otherwise a sweet, boozy punch.

Although this one does not, many Roman punch recipes instruct you to freeze the mixture before serving, presumably so it gets nice and slushy before receiving its meringue cap.

Roman punch was served as an intermezzo at society parties and at the White House during Rutherford B. Hayes’s presidency. Hayes and his wife, who was known as “Lemonade Lucy,” were temperance advocates, and to get around their strictures — the rumor was — someone in the kitchen devised the spiked sorbet, which was served to guests. By 1922, the drink was declared passé by Emily Post.

2 cups lemonade
Juice of 2 oranges
8 ounces Champagne
8 ounces rum
2 large egg whites
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1.Stir together the lemonade, orange juice, Champagne, and rum in a punch bowl. Chill
2.When ready to serve, make the meringue: whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they hold soft peaks, then gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Pile into a serving bowl.
3.Fill punch cups with ice, ladle over the punch, and top each with a dollop of meringue. Serve with cocktail stirrers.
New York Times, August 17, 1879

From The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser