The Courvoisier Architectural Punch Bowl at 33 Portland Place, December 2009

In 1694, Admiral Edward Russell threw a party where the centrepiece was a punchbowl of epic proportions – the 6,000 guests were served punch from a huge specially-adapted fountain by a boy rowing across the lake of punch in a boat! In 2009 Courvoisier, along with the team at Bompas & Parr, have recreated Admiral Russell’s vision in a grand central London house. Their punchbowl is a huge construction inside one of the magnificent rooms in the Robert Adam building at 33 Portland Place.

Over a tonne of Courvoisier Exclusif was used to create 4,000 litres of a new cocktail called ‘The Emperor’s Shrub (and very good it was too, with a spicy winter fruit tang). The cocktail was created especially by Joe McCanta with Alex James (Blur) acting as a taste consultant.

The punchbowl was complete with little ‘tug boats’ masquerading as fruit cocktails (or perhaps the other way around….) and a giant orange slice on which members of the public could float, whilst becoming punch drunk from the fumes!

Click the link to view the Courvoisier architectural punch bowl virtual tour created by Eye Revolution.