The Barbados rum punch has a great recipe poem that is easy to remember. I call it a nursery rhyme for adults!
“One of sour, two of sweet
Three of strong and four of weak
A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice
Serve well chilled with plenty of ice”
Nutmeg is usually sprinkled over the punch and served with a few maraschino cherries. The sour is lime juice which is sold in bottles in all stores but you could use fresh if you have enough limes. It must be lime juice and not lime cordial. The sweet in the “song” is a sugar syrup solution. This is best made with Barbados sugar. If you make it with white processed sugar, it will not be the same. The strong is the rum, which must be dark. The weak is water. Now, how much is a measure you may ask. I use my kitchen measuring cups for this as rum punch is made in a jug in my home. As many a hungover, bleary-eyed guests will testify to. Add a dash of Angostora bitters, sprinkle some grated nutmeg, stick a cherry on stick and a straw in the glass and you are set. They are strong though. Be warned! We still do not talk of the night I happily and merrily drank 7 rum punches from a local bar. It’s still a mystery to me how I got home that night.
Ingredients
1oz fresh lime juice
2oz sugar syrup
3oz golden rum
4oz water
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Freshly grated nutmeg
Method
Place the two measures of sugar in a saucepan with a little water and cook until the sugar has dissolved and add to the juice.
Add the rum and water.
Serve with plenty of ice, a dash of bitters and a grating of nutmeg.
