Planter's Punch Recipe

Planter’s Punch

The heat and humidity have finally arrived and it is time to break out some summer sippers. The Planter’s Punch is a pretty common summer drink and one that I haven’t had in a very long time. I remember having one many years ago, but it was pretty basic and was probably just rum, sour mix and grenadine. Lots of grenadine. I only had one and went back to drinking beer. But it doesn’t have to be this way since the Planter’s Punch doesn’t have a single recipe, it is more of a freestyle drink though it does have a few rules.

The consensus is that all Planter’s Punches should have rum, lime and bitters. Usually, there is something to sweeten the punch, like sugar, grenadine or assorted fruit juices. After that, it is up to you.

In my quest for a good punch I’d just insult someone’s mother, but in this case, I’m looking for the drink. So, I turned to my trusty home library and picked three recipes. Then I gave it some thought, checked the fridge and whipped up my version. Here are four Planter’s Punch recipes.

Difford’s Guide has a recipe that is pretty basic, and I mean that in a good way. It is a fairly simple Grog/Bumbo like recipe (rum, lime, sugar, water, bitters). The rum will be the key flavour in this drink.

Planter’s Punch (Difford’s Guide)

1½ oz Myer’s Dark Rum
½ oz Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Chilled Mineral Water
4 Dashes Angostura Bitters

In The Craft of the Cocktail, Dale DeGroff has a recipe that is more complicated and combines a lot of tropical flavours. It is a tropical punch, with all of the Difford components, but adds more fruit flavours and a bit of fizz with club soda.

Planter’s Punch (Craft of the Cocktail)

1 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Light Rum
½ oz Orange Curacao
2 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Pineapple Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
¼ oz Lime Juice
Dash Grenadine
Dash Angostura Bitters
2 oz Soda Water (Optional)
Orange Slice & Cherry

Finally, in a Goldilocks and the Three Bears approach, we come upon Gary Regan’s recipe in the Joy of Mixology. Where Difford’s Guide is too cold and Craft of the Cocktail is too hot, the Joy of Mixology may be just about right. This version would be the least sweet with a prominent bitter component, two types of bitters plus grapefruit and no sugar. The nutmeg reminds me of the Pusser’s Painkiller.

Planter’s Punch (Joy of Mixology)

2 oz Dark Rum
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
Dash Angostura Bitters
Dash Peychaud’s  Bitters
Grated Nutmeg

Planter's Punch

A traditional Caribbean punch recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Navy Rum
  • 1 oz Mango Juice
  • 1 ozOrange Juice
  • ½ oz Lime Juice
  • ½ oz Simple Syrup
  • ½ oz Grenadine Syrup
  • 2 oz Soda Water
  • 4 dashes Angostura

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients, except club soda, in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a collins glass and top with club soda. Garnish with lime and whatever else you have.

 

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