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RUM PUNCH
(From the West Indies)
Betty Jane Punnett
Abstract
Rum Punch was the traditional drink of the West Indian planter, but now it’s enjoyed by all. Visitors always ask
for ‘rum punch’ when they come to visit and friends in the north want me to make it to remind them of the
tropics and their visits to us in the Caribbean.
Theory
The traditional recipe is simply, one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.
International Context
Most West Indians don’t drink rum punch on a ‘regular’ basis. It is most likely to be served on Sunday, before a
traditional ‘Sunday Lunch’, the large meal served on Sunday around 2 pm. Sunday lunch is usually a roast
(beef, chicken, lamb/mutton, pork) with lots of ‘ground provisions’ (green bananas, eddoes, tannias, yams,
breadfruit), peas and rice, and other vegetables (pumpkin, green beans, eggplant, callaloo); followed, of
course, by cakes, ice cream, fresh fruit salad…. Rum punch is also likely to be served on special occasions.
Methodology
Typically for five people, I would do the following:
1. Mix three ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice,
six ounces of sugar, and ten ounces of water; make
a syrup by heating.
2. When it cools, add ten ounces of amber rum, a
couple of splashes of Angostura bitters and freshly
grated nutmeg.
This is a bit stronger than the traditional recipe, but I then
pour it over lots of ice. It is also a bit less sweet, and you
can adjust the sweetness to suit your preference.
Your rum punch should look rather like a dark lemonade,
the angostura bitters adds a nice reddish color, and
combined with the freshly grated nutmeg, lime and rum,
the smell is enticing.
Discussion
You can serve rum punch anytime, and think of us in the sunny Caribbean. It’s refreshing when it’s hot, and
warming when it’s cold. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
For 1 drink:
½ oz. of sour (say lime juice),
1 oz. of sweet (say sugar),
1 ½ oz. strong (definitely rum),
2 oz. of weak (say water, although I like
sparkling water)
For a punch bowl for party:
5 oz. sour,
10 oz. sweet,
15 oz. strong,
20 oz. weak.