Oh my goodness, Labor Day weekend is upon us. And you know what that means: we all mourn the loss of those summer days and summer drinks! 😉 We’re not quite ready to let go of those fun, refreshing, cooling sippers just yet, so today we have a nice little somethin’ somethin’ for your backyard cookouts.
Say hello to Planter's Punch! You know the drill: its history is...muddled. It may have been created in St. Louis. Or Charleston. Or Jamaica. Anyway, it's been in the imbibing canon since the late 1800s, so it has some staying power.
People went nuts for it during the tiki craze of the 1930s through 60s, and then it fell out of fashion when all the tropical drinks died out in the early 1970s. But the Planter's Punch came back around with the current tiki revival, and you can easily find this classic on many a cocktail and/or tropical bar menu today.
The fun thing about Planter's Punch is that you can customize it with your favorite flavors. Swap around the citrus and/or tropical juices, jazz up your syrups or sweeteners, and go all-out on the garnishes! This baby is meant to be dressed to the nines! If you have some different and funky rums, go hog wild! You get the picture -- pick your faves and mix and match to create something you love.
Here's a template to get your started (from Trader Vic's in 1947), but get jazzy and make it your own!
Planter's Punch
3 oz. dark rum
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. grenadine
1/4 tsp. superfine sugar
Shake (or stir! this one is truly anything goes) all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice until well chilled. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice and get wild with your garnishes. Sip & enjoy!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and enjoy your custom punch!
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