Definitely too many possible answers. The question doesn’t even specify that the punch was poisoned before he left – maybe he is the one who poisoned it, or maybe someone else poisoned it after he left.

There are two punches, one poisoned. The man was simply the last to consume the good one, and the hosts had to refill the bowl.

This is no good. I can generate dozens of these explanations easily but if I find the right one, it will be like the lucky shot from a blindfold rifleman among many misses… what’s the merit? Actually, I hope I don’t find the right answer… I don’t want to stop shooting. :-)

Not a bad answer but not correct and not the simplest solution. Assume the poison is equally distributed throughout the bowl and will not sink.

The poison has sunk to the bottom of the punch bowl. The man that survived took his drink from the top of the bowl leaving the rest of the punch and the poison to be comsumed by the remaining party guests.

Don’t you dare to do it only because of me. I expect to learn a lot from these puzzles. Now, if I could see how others attack the problem… C’mom guys, aren’t there other ideas?

Interesting idea, Joao, but this time you are way out! The solution is actually very simple (when you know)

Don’t worry, I’ll have another taxing logic puzzle for you next week

I think I hate lateral thinking puzzles: I was never able to master their rules, and almost all the time, I present wrong answers. On the above, what comes to my mind is that, the man went earlier from the party because he felt bad after drank the punch. He left the party and went to an hospital where he was treated, luckily, in time. The other felt indisposed too but didn’t want to leave the party’s fun for what they thought to be a mild illness. The delay was fatal.

But this is too obvious… I’ll wait for more fun answers.