We've never been able to top this recipe from David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks of 1961, though there are thousands of other versions of this punch. First, find a pot deep enough to hold 2 gallons. Boil water with nutmeg, ginger, cloves, mace, berries, and cinnamon. After boiling for 2 minutes, add sugar and sherry or Madeira. Cook slowly.

Beat separately the egg yolks and whites; fold together. Put beaten eggs in a large bowl, and slowly add small quantities of the heated wine-and-spice mixture. Stir each addition briskly. Once the brew has been thoroughly mixed, add the baked apples to the now-foaming mixture.

Variations: Add beer, cognac, cider, wine, or a mix of them. If you add cognac, do so just before adding the apples. When adding beer, cider, or wine, mix in the liquor after adding the apples. If both beer and wine are used, cook the spices and sugar in 16 ounces beer. Then, add the remaining beer and sherry, using 1 part sherry to 3 or 4 parts beer. Serve hot in warm Irish coffee mugs.