|Heidelbeerpunsch|

Punch is a strong word. It has many implications. It’s the official drink of high school dances for some reason, it’s the reason you blacked out at that friend of a friend’s cousin’s sister’s Halloween party where you swallowed some of the instant fruit powder that wasn’t fully dissolved in your cup, and it’s the red flavor of all those sports drinks. A punch is supposed to be exactly how it sounds: punchy, refreshing, a splash. At least that’s what it has come to mean. Heidelbeerpunsch, or Blueberry Punch, drifts from that original implication. In fact, almost all of the hot “punches” at the Weihnachtsmarkt could be considered entities separate from the “Punch” categorization as it has come to be known. “Punch” in this instance is just a cover word for “ambiguous mixture with one main ingredient that we fiddled around with for your pleasure,” and that’s okay. There’s even an Eierpunsch, or Egg Punch – which is not the same as eggnog – that has white wine in it. 50-50 on whether I ever have the courage to try that one, but on the 5th of December, on a miraculously dry night, I decided to try the hot Blueberry Punch.

Unless specifically noted otherwise, every drink at the Weihnachtsmarkt is alcoholic. It’s a full time outside bar the whole family can enjoy. I choose not to think about the perils of attempting to implement such a tradition in the US. Truly insane. However,  the Blueberry Punch was no exception to this alcoholic rule. This particular version of the mixture was a simple combination of Blueberry wine and the the various seasonings that one would find in a typical Glühwein.

I walked toward a large pathway on the side of the Market, a side I had yet to visit. Overlooking the townspeople here was a large depiction of the nativity scene. It looked like this:

After paying my dues I finally sipped at the Heidelbeerpunsch, now being at the perfect temperature. At first, I didn’t know what to think. It was tart and zingy with a flash of blueberry sweetness at the very end. It was a curious taste that kept me coming back to see if I could taste the same thing twice, and the cooler it got, it seemed, the more mellow it grew. All in all it was enjoyable, but I would say most of the enjoyment came from it simply not being the standard Glühwein, which I had imbibed every day for the previous four days. It still got the job done, though. It warmed me up, got me a little tingly, and still had a recognizable Christmas charm.

I’m still curious about the Egg Punch, though.

Heidelbeerpunsch Scores

Taste  🎄🎄

 Price  🎄🎄

 Fullness  🎄🎄