Rum Punch

If you're looking for a Caribbean getaway in a glass, then you need to make rum punch. Just looking at this vibrant summer cocktail is enough to put a smile on your face; it's just the thing to turn your poolside gathering into a pool party. I arrived at the recipe below through extensive (delicious) research: a pleasingly balanced concoction made with dark rum, fresh fruit juice, bitters, simple syrup, and the tiniest drop of grenadine. It’s so wonderfully refreshing that I’ve been forced to enjoy it for a good couple of days, and now I’d very much like for YOU to enjoy it too. Keep reading on for everything you need to know:

What Is Rum Punch?

Also known as Planter’s Punch, rum punch is a thirst-quenching, classic 17th-century Caribbean drink with disputed origins. As with most older recipes, there isn’t an exact formula, except for the core ingredients of rum, sugar, and lime juice. Rum itself is made from sugar cane, and there are endless varieties categorized mostly by color, each with its own flavor profile. Modern recipes are often made with multiple types of rum, syrup, and variety of fruit juices and grenadine. As for ratios, many of the old planter’s formulas call for the classic rhyme: “One of sour (lime), two of sweet (sugar), three of strong (rum), four of weak (water/ice/juice).”

How To Make Rum Punch

INGREDIENTS

• Rum: While many recipes call for multiple types of rum, in the interest of simplicity, I decided to use just the one type. Choosing a dark rum makes sense, as the robust punchy molasses qualities provide a little complexity and stands well to the rest of the ingredients. Feel free to experiment with different types! However, combined with the rest of the ingredients, some of the qualities of fancier rums would be lost. To learn more about rum, check out this list of the best rums to drink.
• Pineapple Juice: Tropical rum and pineapple are always an excellent pairing. Just be sure to use the good quality stuff, which makes a world of difference.
• Orange Juice: I used Cara Cara oranges, which are less acidic and generally more flavorful and sweet that other varieties. Plus, the pinkish red flesh lends a gorgeous hue to the cocktail. Really though, pretty much any orange will be great, so don’t fuss—go with what’s available.
• Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed limes are an absolute must to balance the sweetness, and no, the store-bought stuff will simply not do. Because fresh squeezed lime juice is so much brighter, it has more pop and zing that really adds to the cocktail.
• Bitters: Angostura bitters are a classic—though a little goes a long way—as the medicinal bitterness helps accentuate many classic cocktail flavors.
• Grenadine: Good-quality grenadine is essentially a pomegranate syrup, with DIY recipes calling for pomegranate juice, sugar, and sometimes a dash of orange blossom water, lemon, or salt. Here, I used the store-bought stuff and found that, except for lending a gorgeous hint of red, very little grenadine was in fact needed.
• Nutmeg: Finishing with a light grating of nutmeg adds a lovely hint of warming spice and aroma, and just looks so pretty. Don't worry though if you don't have fresh nutmeg on hand, it isn't going to make or break the recipe.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by pouring into a cocktail shaker lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, simple syrup, angostura bitters, and rum. Then add in a healthy amount of ice—enough to fill the shaker—and securely fasten on your lid. Shake for about 20 seconds until you are dizzy and your fingers are really, really cold…well, almost. A good way to tell that the drink is cold enough is that the shaker should become frosty on the outside. What we are trying to achieve here is to both chill and dilute the drink for better drinkability.

Remove the top of the shaker and strain the liquid into a glass half-filled with ice. Rum punch is often served in either a hurricane or highball glass, but use whatever you have on hand! After pouring, add in the grenadine and stir lightly to combine and achieve the rosy color we are looking for. Garnish with your choice of fruit and mint and finish with a little dusting of nutmeg to be transported to that Caribbean getaway. Bliss!

The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Prepare the garnish ahead of time. Cut a few thin slices of orange and lime to put aside for the garnish. Maraschino cherries, mint, pineapple wedge? All great, go wild and have fun!
• Juice your own citrus. Now is the time to get that electric citrus juicer you’ve had hibernating at the back of the cupboard out. If you don’t have one, a manual one or even a little handheld reamer work fine.

Storage

Without the ice, rum punch can be made a day ahead and kept cool in the fridge. Though this recipe is for a single drink, it can easily be scaled up. For a large batch, the punch should be stirred in a pitcher with lots of ice until most of it has melted.