Rum, don’t walk
Planter’s Punch is a classic cocktail for color, creativity and Caribbean vibe
“As the history of cocktails is — well, the history of drunkenness,” Peter Hannah begins, “the exact genesis of a drink can be somewhat muddied, as can the recipe.”
Lucky for us Hannah, who brings his mixology skills to bars at both Walt Disney World and the Wellborn, has his own slightly elevated recipe for today’s fun foray into Planter’s Punch, a refreshing libation we’re celebrating for National Rum Punch Day (Sept. 20).
Rum punch brings with it happy, fruity feels and a load of nostalgia. Child of the ’70s that I am, I mostly see “The Love Boat’s”
Isaac the bartender giving me the finger guns, a punch-filled blender at the ready — but its lineage predates the Pacific Princess, Morgan Fairchild and Charo by centuries, going at least as far back as Barbados, 1694.
“It spread quickly through the islands and soon there were as many variants and recipes as there were styles of rum,” he notes. “In the 1920s, the Planter’s Punch was a favorite at the Myrtle Bank and Titchfield hotels in Kingston, Jamaica, where Donn the Beachcomber likely first sampled it.”
Ever since, says Hannah, the drink has been associated with Jamaica — and its signature rums, dark and funky.
“Though sometimes referred to as Creole or Jamaican Rum Punch, the
Planter’s Punch — as it’s more commonly known — may derive its name from the Caribbean plantation owners who’d enjoy a glass, or bowl, of the stuff under the hot, island sun.”
Other accounts, he says, claim it originated at the Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, in the 19th century — though that’s more lore than fact. What can historians and mixologists agree on?
“That Planter’s Punch follows the classic punch formula: ‘one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak — and a touch of spice to make everything nice,’” says Hannah. “Purists won’t stray too far from these rules — and a simple recipe
of rum, Angostura bitters, lime and sugar is truly delicious.”
That said, Hannah’s recipe subs grenadine for simple syrup (“made from pomegranates,” he specifies, “not the sickly sweet, almond-cherry stuff that parents pour into Sprite for their kids!”) and incorporates an orange slice in the shake to imbue a bit of tropical freshness. Other variations might add an ounce of pineapple or orange juice, “which makes the drink undeniably sweeter, but hits the spot on a hot day.”
Splitting the rums, he notes, is a great way to add new complexity to the drink and find your favored balance.
“After all, rum punch is a fun drink designed for fun times. That’s the great think about the Planter’s Punch skeleton: You can dress it up in all kinds of new ways.”
Or just roll with Hannah’s version, and with it — the good times.