# Scaling up punch recipes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323 "2012-11-17T17:19:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/1 "2012-11-17T17:19:39Z")
Am I correct in thinking that when scaling up a punch recipe for 4 into one that serves 30-some, you would not use 8 times the amount of spices? For example, if it called for two cinnamon sticks and two cloves, you wouldn’t use 16 of each - as the spice won’t scale proportionally with the booze, right? Any rule I’d thumb here? I was thinking just double it to play it safe. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/2 "2012-11-17T17:21:46Z")
I don’t see why not, but like you said, you could always just play it safe. ---
**Author:** ![qualityleashdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/9f8e36/32.png) [@qualityleashdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qualityleashdog)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/3 "2012-11-17T18:28:07Z")
Care to share the recipe you intend to tinker with? I’d say most punch recipes can be found in different versions for different servings. I’d think 30 would be a common number to serve, for a punch, so that size is probably out there on the internetz, somewhere. Or in one my bartending books. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/4 "2012-11-17T18:32:38Z")
I just can’t see any good reason it wouldn’t scale up proportionally. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/5 "2012-11-17T19:27:59Z")
Planter’s Punch from Barbecue Bible. It’s on Google Books. I might also make Singapore Sling as a punch. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/6 "2012-11-18T13:19:48Z")
Why would you think it wouldn’t scale proportionally? I’d use 8x the amount of everything, including spices. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/7 "2012-11-18T13:35:06Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Why would you think it wouldn’t scale proportionally? I’d use 8x the amount of everything, including spices. Stuff like cloves are just so potent, that I thought a multiples of them would overwhelm. Like perhaps steeping with two cloves is enough for a four person serving, and it’s also enough for 8 or 16. I’m happy to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scaling-up-punch-recipes/641323/8 "2012-11-18T14:16:20Z")
They’re not THAT overwhelming. Really, with spices like cloves and cinnamon, time means more than amount. The longer you steep the more flavor you get out of them - if you’re making flavored liqueurs, for example, you tend to leave the spices in for weeks at a time to get the flavors out. For a punch you’re not leaving them in long enough to make much of a difference, so I’d go ahead and use them proportionally.