Authentic Rum Punch Recipe

1 of sour
2 of sweet
3 of strong
4 of weak

This is the rhyme commonly used to recall the recipe for an authentic rum punch. Just try remembering it after trying one
(or two!)
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Can’t quite remember where we sampled our first rum punch. Barbados? Jamaica? Hmmm – I know we’ve enjoyed them on many islands, and they all seem to have a completely different taste. Is it the rum used? Is is the “sweet” ingredient or the “weak” ingredient? I think it’s safe to say – all of the above – with a huge dose of “who you’re enjoying it with and where”.

For this recipe we used Grenadine as the “sweet”, although it’s common in countries such as Jamaica to use a strawberry or cherry syrup. A simple syrup (1 part sugar to 2 parts water) can also be used, but you will forfeit the fruity taste and red coloring.

In this recipe we used water as the “weak”. In other rum punch recipes, such as our Caribbean Rum Punch, different fruit juices are used instead of water, creating endless opportunities to vary the taste depending on the juices used. As water seems to be used in the most authentic versions, that’s what we used here – and liked the result!

By using the measurement in the rhyme above, it’s easy to make a large batch of this tasty rum concoction for parties and gatherings by multiplying the measurements – that way you can mix it ahead and just sit back and enjoy….

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Authentic Rum Punch

1 of sour, 2 of sweet, 3 of strong, 4 of weak...this is the rhyme commonly used to remember the recipe for an authentic rum punch.

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 2 oz. Grenadine (simple syrup, cherry syrup or strawberry syrup are also commonly used)
• 3 oz. Rum (we used Appleton V/X)
• 4 oz. Water
• Dash of Angostura Bitters
• Nutmeg (this is optional in authentic rum punch, but we always use freshly grated nutmeg)

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients in a glass over ice and stir.
• Sprinkle with a little freshly grated nutmeg and garnish with a lime or orange slice, add a biodegradeable straw and enjoy!

Notes

We have also used Mount Gay Eclipse with very good results. Some use Wray & Nephew for a very potent punch. Every rum has it’s own unique taste – so experiment to see which you like best!

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