(Editor’s Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2019.)
I’m certainly no cocktail historian, but after spending quite a bit of time reading David Wondrich’s book Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl, I feel like I could almost pretend to be!
THE FISH HOUSE PUNCH
Last week live in our Facebook Group, we made one of the more famous pre-Prohibition rum drinks: The Fish House Punch. Supposedly the refreshing drink of choice of a secret social club made up of rowdy pre-revolutionary colonial Americans who called themselves “The State in Schuylkill,” this rum cocktail dates back to 1732.
History of rum punch aside, this is a classic rum punch cocktail worth enjoying! We’ve prepared it cold, but I’ve heard it’s also delicious when warm and mulled for the wintertime. As is, it’s a pretty excellent rum punch brunch cocktail.
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If you don’t have a punch bowl for serving this party punch, simply serve this effervescent punch directly in a punch glass or any cool cocktail glass you have on hand. (Beautiful citrus garnish optional but definitely worth it.)
Sometimes people add a maraschino cherry or a splash of grenadine for color (cherry syrup)to this alcoholic fruit punch, which would add more sweet taste to this party favorite. While our version doesn’t do either, if you just must add a cherry, make sure it’s a good one! I’ve seen other recipes add orange slices or other fresh fruit slices, but we’re keeping it simple and classic.
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A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF OLEO SACCHARUM
This is the perfect drink to highlight the use of oleo saccharum in punches. While it sounds fancy and took me ages to spell correctly, “oh-lee-oh sack-a-rum” is basically just sugar infused with the oil from lemon peels– and sometimes from orange as well. This is a sneaky way to get the oil out of the lemon peels (where most of the aromatics come from) and into your drink.
ANYTIME PUNCH WITH A HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT
These “high octane” punch ingredients make up a great drink for cocktail parties this holiday season– and also one of the more popular summer drinks.
This one isn’t a fruity drink like a lot of fruit punch/traditional rum punch recipes with orange juice, fresh lime juice, pineapple juice, etc. It’s perhaps more alcoholic than most people are used to nowadays, so you may want to warn your guests!
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With three types of spirits and lemon, this delicious cocktail isn’t a sweet citrus punch with a bunch of fruit juices, but it offers a complicated, rich flavor that is perfect for both a chilly winter night or hot summer beach day. This Jamaican rum punch recipe is a classic drink that offers a hint of sweetness and somewhat tropical flavors from the peach– but again, it’s not a super sweet, tropical cocktail.
Ready for seemingly endless rum punch? Grab the (very) alcoholic punch recipe below, and certainly leave us a comment to let us know what you think of this rum punch recipe.
Japanese Jigger, Copper Finish
More measurement lines, and a beautiful copper finish! Measure in style with measurement lines all the way down to 1/4oz. This two sided Japanese Jigger will look lovely next to your next cocktail.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Sugar Ideally Demerara
- 4 ea Lemons peeled
- 2 cups Warm Water
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Cups Jamaican Rum
- 1 Cup Cognac
- 1/4 Cup Peach Brandy
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add sugar & lemon peels, and rub together to release the citrus oils into the sugar. (This is called oleo-saccharum.)
- Allow oleo-saccharum to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
- Dissolve sugar with warm water.
- Add rum, cognac, lemon juice, and peach brandy; stir to mix.
- f you want to serve the punch cold, add a block of ice to chill, and continue to add smaller pieces of ice for desired dilution.
- Serve in a punch glass, and garnish with lemon wheels and freshly grated nutmeg.
