Barbados Rum Punch
- 2 oz aged rum
- 3/4 oz Rich Demerara syrup
- 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Short shake with ice and strain into a double old-fashioned glass almost filled with crushed ice then top up with crushed ice. Alternatively, shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
The discovery that citrus juice goes well with rum and sugar and has medicinal value goes back at least to the Royal Navy in 1795. Apparently they preferred lemon juice in their recipe until war with Spain depleted the lemon supply and West Indian limes were found to work even better—hence the nickname 'limeys.'
From there we get to Barbados which has a traditional rhyme that gives the recipe for punch: "One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak…". Tastes have changed over the years so we followed the interpretation from Smuggler's Cove.
The drink is just a simple sour using Demarara syrup and a dash of bitters. Use an aged rum, in fact a Barbados rum if possible. Our current preference is Doorly's 12 year. For a little more complexity the Rumbustion Punch adds a touch of cinnamon syrup and a dash of anise liqueur which also works very well.
The traditional recipe serves the drink over ice. This is the way we prefer it, served over crushed ice—the ice tones down the intensity of the drink a little. But then, a little intensisty can be wonderful too, just reduce the syrup slightly.