Summer was winding down, and I found myself lost in the world of rum drinks. That led to some serious thinking about which rums to pick, and then I was off, diving into blog after blog about rhum agricole and... well, you know how it goes, down a Wikipedia rabbit hole!
Ever wonder why it's called 'punch'? It comes from the Sanskrit word 'pañca,' meaning 'five'. That's for the five key ingredients: rum, sugar, lemon or lime, water, and some tea or spices. And since sugar cane and rum started in India, it all makes sense. But by the 17th century, rum from the West Indies was the go-to crowd-pleaser.
One part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong, four parts weak.
A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice.
That's a clever Caribbean rhyme to help hosts whip up some rum punch. Let's get the party started!
- One of Sour (citrus like lemon or lime) - e.g. 0.5 fluid oz
- Two of Sweet (syrup, agave, or honey) - e.g. 1 fluid oz
- Three of Strong (full-bodied rum) - e.g. 1.5 fluid oz
- Four of Weak (water or club soda in a 4:1 ratio) - e.g. 2 fluid oz
Serve chilled with ice, and add a touch of Angostura bitters for an aromatic flourish. Optionally, you can enhance the punch with a sprinkle of spice like nutmeg, star anise, or cinnamon.
