This Rum punch style cocktail, like most classic drinks, has a disputed origin. However, it is commonly accepted that it was created on one of the islands in the Caribbean sea, probably Jamaica.
The cocktail first appeared in print in a 1908 edition of the New York Times and was fashionable in the US through the 60s. From there Planter’s Punch lost its lustre over the following years, but fortunately and in a big way courtesy of the Tiki renaissance of the 2000s, resurfaced in cocktail books, like Ted Haigh’s influential “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.” in 2009.
This tasty and fruity cocktail is a simple mixture of rum, citrus, sugar and spice. As you may have seen in our other recipes there’s a handy little rhyme to give you a loose guide on your Rum Punch making escapades.
“One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak.”
With the latter coming from water/ice.
There are soooo many variations of this recipe, so don’t worry too much about exact ingredients or quantities. While following the recipe below will guide you to create an excellent Planter’s Punch, there’s no right way to make it. So why not play around with it and give this drink your own personal spin, we often love to swap out the syrup for fruit juice.
Serves 1
Ingredients
75ml Welsh Soul Rum
25ml Simple Syrup
1 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Lemon juice
A splash of Grenadine Syrup
2-3 dashes of Bitters
Orange slice and mint sprig to garnish (optional)
Method
Add Rum, syrup, juices grenadine and bitters into a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled.
Strain into a glass, over crushed ice and top with a little club soda
Pour into ice-filled glasses and serve with a garnish of orange slices and maraschino cherries or mint sprig.