Fish house punch, older than the republic

A punch this old has earned its ceremony. It dates to an eighteenth-century Philadelphia fishing club that predates the republic itself, and it remains the correct answer to a houseful of guests. Start the peels in the morning and the evening runs itself.

1. Put the lemon peels in a large jar or bowl with the sugar and muddle until the peels turn slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours, overnight if you are organised. The longer it sits, the more perfume the sugar pulls.
2. Juice the reserved lemons, about ¾ cup, and stir into the peel mixture until the sugar dissolves. Strain, pressing on the solids, into a large bowl.
3. Add the rum, Cognac, peach brandy and the cold water. Stir, bottle and chill for at least 1 hour. On the peach brandy, the real thing is a dry, high-proof spirit, not the syrupy liqueur. If your shop has neither, an eau de vie does the job and earns its place on your shelf slowly, so borrow before you buy.
4. To serve, set the ice ring in a punch bowl, pour the punch over and grate nutmeg on top of each ladled glass. One large block melts far slower than cubes, which is the whole secret to a punch that stays punch instead of becoming weather.

A batch already, but a houseful drinks a bowl faster than you would believe. Make a double batch and keep the second bottled and chilling, then top the bowl up rather than nursing a tired one. One big block of ice per bowl, never cubes, and start the peels the night before so the evening runs itself.