Rum Punch Recipe
Original And Upgraded
MC NickRock
Singer, Entertainer, Writer and Cocktail Maker.
I follow a regular routine with some friends. When having a pool party we stage a rum punch contest. Everyone shares their best effort and the winner receives a bottle of dark rum. What’s totally fun is it pushes our creativity as we seek to impress each other.
Rum Punch could be the spaghetti sauce of cocktails ; the traditional mix is widely known but everyone’s got their own take. Therein lies the beauty -plenty of room to come up with one’s own twist. Today I’m talking all you need to know in order to whip up proper classic rum punch , and how to design bespoke improvements. Enjoy:
1. What Is Rum Punch ?
How To Define Rum Punch. What’s In It?
2. Classic Rum Punch Recipe
The Original Recipe : Step-By-Step.
3. Upgrades & Variations
Let’s Bring Your Rum Punch To A New Level.
1.What Is Rum Punch?
How To Define Rum Punch. What’s In It?
“Best Ideas Come While Sipping Rum.”
-PAVOL KAZIMIR
The standard rum punch is quite simple. So long as you have tropical fruit flavours and a sweet rum kicker you’re in business. I’ve seen many bars adding dark rum to pre-made fruit punch mix , and that’s it. In those cases the results are not necessarily phenomenal , but the job will be accomplished.
On my last trip to the Dominican Republic , local bartenders were using spices and fresh fruit in their rum punch recipes. These are easy to throw together and give unforgettable results. They entirely raise the experience level.
I recommend using both white and dark rums. If I had to categorise though , this type does belong on the list of dark rum cocktails. White rum can sometimes be a little too bland for these recipes.
2. Classic Rum Punch Recipe
The Original Recipe : Step-By-Step.
Alcoholic ingredients :
- 1.5 oz of white rum
- 1.5 oz of dark rum
Non-Alcoholic ingredients :
- 2 oz of pineapple juice
- 1 oz of orange juice
- 0.25 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.25 oz of grenadine
Equipment :
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Cocktail Strainer
- 1 Hurricane Glass
Original Rum Punch Recipe : Step By-Step
- The following is the most widespread method rum punch method. If you’ve never sampled it before, I suggest starting here before attempting customisation.
Cocktail Recipe :
- Combine all ingredients In a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake very well.
- Pour through a strainer into a hurricane glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry and a slice of lemon.
Tips :
- If you’re looking to present in a party punch bowl , multiply all quantities by the required number of servings. Add a few slices of orange and lemon into the bowl.
- The cocktail look good in any type of glass. Plastic cups are ideal for pool parties.
3. Rum Punch Upgrades & Variations
Let’s Bring Your Rum Punch To A New Level.
There’s endless possibilities when tweaking classic rum punch. It’s absolutely cool to just play around with ingredients and create your own versions. Just remember to keep all the flavours compatible. If you go too far , you may still produce a delicious drink, but it won’t be a rum punch anymore. Here’s a few ideas:
1. Coconut Rum Drinks :
Tropical fruits and coconut are an undeniably superb match. They always bring freshness. Coconut cream or milk will alter texture and colour , and why not try coconut rum instead? You can always replace the white rum with Bacardi coconut rum , or Malibu. I suggest auditioning both , as either will still provide the coconut note you’re looking for albeit with subtle variations.
2. Triple Sec Drinks :
As always , I’m still the committed Cointreau disciple. Triple sec liqueurs blend perfectly in rum punch – any brand will do but my bias is clear. Only 1 oz is more than enough to maintain the rum flavour up front.
3. Fresh Fruits :
Mixing with fruit here always changes up the game. The natural flavours add considerable freshness. Here’s a few preparation methods :
Simplest of all is adding thin slices directly into the glass. Place wheels of orange, lime or lemon flat on the glass bottom or put them straight in the party bowl. As I showed in our sloe gin fizz article, you can also lean them vertically onto the inside of the glass with a pair of long tongs , for a classy look.
Fresh squeezed juice saves time – even more so done with an electric extractor. There’s some pretty decent models available at a reasonable price. I like the Cuisinart CJE-500. For around $60US it works perfectly – a small investment but very useful when performing multiple kitchen tasks.
Frozen fruit is my personal favourite option. Exactly as in my Frozen Margarita , replace the ice with frozen fruit. Your rum punch will be easy on the eye yet not at all watery . Store-bought frozen fruit bags do suffice but things’re way fresher when you prep from scratch. Just slice your favourites into small cubes and freeze overnight.
Or throw everything in the blender first off , then the freezer , and voila – Frozen Rum Punch!
Most commonly employed fruits include orange, lemon, lime and pineapple. By all means test a larger variety and discover your special combinations. Red grapefruit and mangosteen tickle my particular fancy. I’ve also had joyous juicy times with cranberries , kiwis, apples, strawberries, peaches , passion fruit , dragon fruit and water melon. Possibilities are endless.
4. Spices :
Spices add sophisticated finish to most rum cocktails. Cinnamon and nutmeg are my usual suspects. They complement fruity sweetness , and give a tiny kick. I’ve also tried a bunch of awesome recipes calling for vanilla extract. With these it’s essential to gradually arrive at the perfect number of drops , in the interests of balance – it’s too , too easy to ruin your cocktail by over-applying spices.
5. Add Some Fizz :
Some people take soda water or sprite in their rum punch. I dig the sparkling cocktail concept but prefer Smirnoff Ice. It still imparts fizz but doesn’t compromise strength. Any Smirnoff flavour stands up , but Original is always the ideal contributor. Here I tend to replace the grenadine with cranberry juice as Smirnoff Ice has already sugar enough.
In Conclusion
Theses Ideas are only the tip of the iceberg. Use your imagination and try new combinations. It might keep you busy for a while until you find your own Ultimate rum punch recipe so have fun. I would like to hear you now. Let me know in the comments how you make your own. I might try to impress my friends with it in our next pool party. Thanks guys and girls for your time, don’t forget to like and share, to help me spread the word out there.
