Planters Punch
Jamaican rum, lime, sugar, water and bitters, over ice — one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. The Jamaican planter's drink and the ancestor of every rum punch.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a collins glass or a large rocks glass with crushed ice.
Add the rum, lime juice, syrup and bitters to a shaker, fill with ice, and shake for 10 seconds.
Strain over the crushed ice and top with the water or juice.
Stir once, grate nutmeg over the top if you like, and garnish with an orange slice.
A thoughtful finish
- The ratio is the recipe: 1 sour, 2 sweet, 3 strong, 4 weak, by volume. Scale it by any measure and adjust the 'weak' — water, soda, juice or ice — to taste.
- Jamaican rum is what makes it a Planter's Punch rather than a rum sour; the fruit and funk are the point.
- For a pitcher, multiply by eight, skip the shake, stir over ice and let guests top their own.
Common mistakes
- Light rum. The drink is built on Jamaican depth.
- Fruit juice as the whole 'weak' part, which turns it into a smoothie. Water or soda keeps it a punch.
- Skipping the bitters and nutmeg, the spice that the rhyme leaves out and every Jamaican adds.
A few good questions.
What is the Planter's Punch ratio?
One part sour (lime), two sweet (sugar syrup), three strong (rum), four weak (water, soda or juice). The 1878 rhyme is the recipe.
Should it have orange and pineapple juice?
Many versions do, as part of the 'weak'. The plain Jamaican punch uses water; the tiki-era versions use juice. Both are Planter's Punch.
Which rum?
A dark Jamaican rum. Myers's is the brand that attached its name to the drink; any Jamaican dark or aged rum works.
Can I make it for a crowd?
It was always a bowl drink. Multiply by the number of guests, mix in a pitcher or bowl, add ice at the last minute, and grate nutmeg over the top.
Variations
- Rum Punch — The generic Caribbean version.
- Bahama Mama — Rum, coconut rum and fruit.
- Mai Tai — Aged rum, curaçao, orgeat and lime.
- Pisco Punch — Pisco, pineapple, lime and gum syrup.
Where it comes from
c. 1800s; printed 1878 · Jamaica
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Rum punch was being drunk on Jamaican plantations from the 1600s, and the rhyme that defines it — one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak — was printed in the London magazine Fun in 1878 and in the New York Times in 1908. The name Planter’s Punch attached itself in the late 1800s; the Myers’s rum company claimed it from 1879, the Planters’ Hotel in Charleston claimed it too, and Trader Vic and Beachbum Berry have each printed their own. There is no single recipe, only the ratio, and every version adds something: grenadine, orange, pineapple, Angostura. This is the plain Jamaican one.
Sources
- Fun magazine, London, 1878 (article)
- David Wondrich, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl, 2010 (book)
- Jeff Berry, Potions of the Caribbean, 2014 (book)
Strength. About 1.54 US standard drinks at an estimated 12.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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