The Planter’s Punch Recipe

Posted in Rum on March 5, 2014

The Planter’s Punch is a rum based cocktail which has numerous variations worldwide. It seems like everyone preparing it is allowing his own little variation on the drink, so nothing can stop you from adding your own personal touch to it. There are two different stories concerning the origins of this cocktail. Some say it was invented in Jamaica by the wife of a planter who wanted to provide refreshments for the workers. Another story implies that the cocktail was in fact created at the Planter’s Hotel in St. Louis. The first written reference of this recipe appeared in 1878 in the Fun magazine in London. The Planter’s Punch was also mentioned in 1908 in the New York Times.

Nowadays there are tons of Planter’s Punch variations. The recipe is sanctioned by the IBA and it is made of rum, grenadine, citrus juice and angostura bitters. However, some recipes use lemon juices while others call for orange juice. There are even variations which contain other fruit juice such as pineapple or a combination of more fruit juices. The dash of angostura bitters is optional and some bartenders use it while others not. The cocktail is usually served in a highball glass and some choose to top it off with club soda. However, this is also an optional ingredient. The point is that you can add your own contribution to the Planter’s Punch recipe. Learn the basics first and then improvise as per your desire. Nothing bad can come out of it.

The Planter’s Punch is a recipe that can be adapted for a party. The below recipe is for one cocktail, but  you can easily transform it into a party punch by figuring out how many servings you need and by multiplying the quantity of the ingredients with the number of servings. You can also make a non-alcoholic version of the Planter’s Punch by skipping the rum and keeping only the fruit juices.

How to Prepare the Planter’s Punch

You need the following ingredients:

• ½ oz. of dark rum.
• ¼ oz. of grenadine.
• ½ oz. of lime or lemon juice.
• ¼ oz. of simple syrup.
• 2 oz. of fruit juice (you can use orange juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit juice or a combination of those).
• Club soda.
• A slice of orange or lemon or any other seasonal fruit for garnish.

Put all the ingredients except the club soda and the slice of fruit into a mixer glass with ice cubes and stir them well. Strain into a highball glass over ice cubes, top off with club soda if you want and garnish as per your desire.