There were only two kinds of punch in my young adulthood. The sweet and fizzy kind served at church basement receptions or the trashcan mix of college parties. I have since learned that real punch is a more storied affair. It is, in the words of David Wondrich, nothing less than the foundation of the cocktail. Wondrich should know. He’s written a book about it. Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl is due out this month from Perigee. Wondrich amassed an impressive collection of cocktailian tomes while researching Punch, and his new work takes an historical, anecdotal look at this most communal of drinks. If it’s anything like his excellent Imbibe!, we’re in for a good read, and a good drink.