oleo-saccharum , also known among modern mixologists as “oleo,” is a mixture of sugar and the oil from citrus peels that is used primarily as a base for punch. See punch. The term, apothecary’s Latin for “sugar-oil,” appears to be a Continental one from the seventeenth century. That the sweet, brightly citrusy oil adds body and depth of flavor to a punch or other citrus-based drink has been recognized at least since 1670, when Hannah Woolley included lemon “pill” in her punch-like recipe for “Limonado” (lemon peel is the most commonly used, followed by orange and grapefruit; lime peel is used infrequently due to its bitterness).
cocktail renaissance. Since 2010, it has gradually crept back into the mixologist’s trick bag.There are several ways to extract the citrus oil, including some that do not require sugar: soaking the peels in spirits or boiling water will also work. But extracting the oil with sugar is both simple and effective, and it is the preferred method among experienced punch makers. Originally, when sugar came in dense, conical loaves, it was possible to extract the oil by rubbing the fruit vigorously on the surface of the loaf, thus scraping off all the oil-bearing outer skin. In 1869, however, the British drinks authority writing as “William J. Terrington” suggested that the fruit could also be peeled very thinly, eschewing the white pith, and the peels muddled with sugar. See Terrington, William. This is effective, but not as effective as the modern method, pioneered by Jeffery Morgenthaler of Portland, Oregon. This involves simply sealing up the sugar and the peels, preferably cut in long spirals, in a vacuum bag or canning jar or other such container and leaving them alone for 12 hours or so (use 50 ml sugar per lemon peel or 75 ml per orange peel). Sugar being hygroscopic, it pulls the liquid oils out of the peels. If they are fresh, one ends up with a mass of moist, citrus-scented sugar and a layer of viscous, sweet citrus oil floating on top. These may be then combined with citrus juice (usually as much juice as sugar), and the resulting shrub will keep refrigerated for up to ten days. See shrubs.
Brookes, Richard. General Dispensatory. London: 1773.
Morgenthaler, Jeffrey. “Vacuum Seal Oleo Saccharum.” Jeffrey Morgenthaler (blog), March 13, 2012. https://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/vacuum-seal-oleo-saccharum/ (accessed March 5, 2021).
Terrington, William J. Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks. London: Routledge, 1869.
Woolley, Hannah. The Queen-Like Closet. London: 1670.
Wondrich, David. Punch. New York: Perigee, 2010.
By: David Wondrich