Made with rum, lime juice, sugar, and a secret ingredient or two, you can combine the ingredients ahead of time. It’s the perfect party drink!
What Is Planter’s Punch?
First, a little history. In 1878, the Victorian Magazine Fun published this recipe for a Planter’s Punch. Despite the magazine’s faint praise for the concoction, this is not a bad drink (quite the contrary!), although there have been many variations of it over the years. Most involve dark rum and a plethora of fruit juices—lime, pineapple, orange, sometimes passionfruit. Every recipe is a little different. (As Wayne Curtis wrote in his book And a Bottle of Rum, “Planter’s Punch is a class of drink rather than a single cocktail.”)
A Modern Take on Planter’s Punch
I tried a lot of these variations, and my favorite was one I discovered almost by accident in Ted Haigh’s excellent Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. The recipe— made with Jamaican rum and a pre-made “secret mix”—is by Jasper LeFranc, the former head bartender of the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay. I originally spotted it in Ted Haigh’s book, but the proportions used here are (mostly) ones from the (now defunct site) 3st of the Month. With just one kind of fruit juice, this may seem a little less flashy than other recipes, but I love this version, because the Angostura bitters and particularly the nutmeg give it a richness and depth of flavor that you don’t get from just rum and fruit juice.
Make-Ahead “Secret Mix”
Although the “secret mix” might seem a little intimidating, it’s really quite simple to make. You can put it together ahead of time (up to two days in advance) and store it in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to make drinks, all you need to do is add the rum. You can make drinks individually, or put together a whole pitcher at once.
The Rum to Use in Planter’s Punch
The starting point for Planter’s Punch is a dark rum, preferably Jamaican. Haigh asks for Coruba, although I’ve also had luck with Appleton Estate.
Want More Rum Recipes? Here You Go!
Mai Tai Cocktail Hemingway Daiquiri Strawberry Mojito Dark and Stormy Blender Piña Colada
I think 1:1 is a good ratio of secret mix to rum, although if you like a stronger drink, you can adjust it to be as much as 1 part secret mix to 2 parts rum; 1 1/2 parts rum would probably be nice, too.
8 ounces lime juice
1/2 cup turbinado
1/2 ounce bitters
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
To Mix 1 Cocktail:
1 1/2 ounces rum
1 1/2 ounce “secret mix”
Crushed ice
Mint or cocktail cherry, for garnish
To make a whole pitcher: Make the secret mix, then add all of it and an equal volume of rum (about a cup and a half, or 12 ounces) to a pitcher. Add 10 to 12 ice cubes and stir vigorously. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to drink, then serve over crushed ice.
