A Planter's Punch cocktail is a perfect spring and summer cocktail.
Here is how to make the rum cocktail:
Cocktail ingredients for a single serving
- 50ml Swan Knight golden spiced rum
- 50ml pineapple juice
- 50ml orange juice
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
- 1 teaspoon grenadine
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Glassful of crushed ice
Recipe
- Mix the above ingredients together
- Pour into a tumbler or a Collins glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a mint sprig or slices of pineapple, glace cherry and orange
How and when to drink this spiced rum cocktail
This is a cocktail that shouts about the joys of summer sunshine. It is great to sip whilst chatting with friends and family. The bright colours are matched by the bold flavours and it can be enjoyed in either a Collins glass or a tumbler. In fact, we enjoyed it while watching the tennis but it is equally at home, as part of a picnic. It took quite a bit of trial and error, in order to get the right mix of fruit juices, simple syrup, bitters and grenadine, for our palates and feel free to change the amounts of each ingredient, to your own taste.
While we were making this cocktail, we also tried adding mint. We rinsed and chopped mint leaves and left them in the simple syrup overnight in the fridge. The next day, we strained the simple syrup and really enjoyed the hint of mint in the cocktail. It is also nice to see the various layers in the cocktail (from the fruit juices and grenadine) and it is worthwhile using real fruit juices, rather than concentrate, if that is an option.
Inspiration for the cocktail
The Planter's Punch is seen as a classic Tiki cocktail. Tiki cocktails are generally defined as tropical cocktails made with rum, and Tiki themed bars can be found all over the world. Although Tiki is a Maori word for the first man created, most of Tiki culture (art, entertainment and music) is inspired by Polynesia, the Caribbean islands, Hawaii and Australasia.
The classic Planter's Punch is thought to date from the latter part of the 19th century, and made from rum, spices, citrus and sugar. However, there are also stories of the drink originating in Charleston, South Carolina or the Planters Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Nonetheless, it seems to be generally accepted that the drink was either created in Jamaica or by someone from Jamaica.
Myers Rum sell a dark rum designed specifically for this cocktail. It is heavy on molasses and has been produced since 1879. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) list the official recipe for the Planter's Punch as being: Jamaican rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar cane juice. Alternatively, the 1908 New York Times suggested the following recipe:
This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
And add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —
I know whereof I speak.
Our working assumption is that the sour is lime juice, the sweet is simple syrup, the strong is rum, and the weak is a mix of fruit juices. Whatever the ingredients, the most important point is to find the right mix and enjoy the sunshine. If you enjoy this spiced rum cocktail then you might also like the Hurricane or the spiced rum Pina Colada .
The Planter's Punch summer cocktail
