Feel free to add a scrape of nutmeg, a prized spice in the 17th century, for a punch-like garnish. For a smaller serving of a punch-like progeny, watch our Daiquiri tutorial above. In these strange times, we have not been able to host the large social gatherings that punch is intended to serve. And, while initially a popular drink in the American colonies, the fast-paced life of America quickly adapted to more rapid, individual drinking styles as methods of distillation and aging spirits improved: cocktails. The word punch is likely to come from the Hindi word for 'five', पंज (panj), for the five ingredients in the recipe: spirit, sugar, spice, sour citrus, and water.īy the mid 17th century, Jamaican rum or sometimes Dutch Gin was the prized spirit of choice for this social beverage. It transformed into a social staple a communal bowl shared amongst friends and family, soldiers and sailors. In the 17th century, these sailors brought punch to England and the Caribbean.
This Barbados rhyme is a trusty guide on making rum punch and all its variations for September 20th, Rum Punch Day.īritish sailors enjoyed their beer rations, but when they sailed into warmer, tropical weather, that beer would spoil (hence the creation of IPAs for the beer lovers out there). One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.
