Planters Punch

The Planters Punch is a generic Rum punch based around the following: 1 sour, 2 sweet, 3 strong, 4 weak.

The recipe from the back of the Myers's Rum Bottle

• 3 parts Myers's rum
• 1 part lemon juice
• 2 tea-spoons sugar syrup per glass
• 1 dash bitters per glass

Shake and strain, garnish with orange and mint sprig.

Historical Recipes

Interestingly, the earliest known recipes for the Planter's Punch were printed in rhyme:

FUN MAGAZINE (London), September 1878

"Planter's Punch! A West Indian Recipe"

• A wine-glass with lemon juice fill,
• Of sugar the same glass fill twice
• Then rub them together until
• The mixture looks smooth, soft, and nice.
• Of rum then three wine glasses add,
• And four of cold water please take.
• A Drink then you'll have that's not bad —
• At least, so they say in Jamaica.

KANSAS CITY STAR, 1903

• One of sour
• One of sweet
• Two of strong
• And one of weak

NEW YORK TIMES, 8 August 1908

"PLANTER'S PUNCH"

• This recipe I give to thee,
• Dear brother in the heat.
• Take two of sour (lime let it be)
• To one and a half of sweet,
• Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
• And add four parts of weak.
• Then mix and drink. I do no wrong--
• I know whereof I speak.

NOTE: One could surmise from this poem the following recipe:

• 2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1½ oz Sugar Syrup
• 3 oz Dark Jamaican Rum
• 4 oz Crushed Ice

Shake ingredients and pour into a cocktail glass.

The Gleaner, 4th April 1914

"He could mix the best Planters' punch in Jamaica."

"The Gleaner", 1921

"A planters' punch is made of pure Jamaica rum, a little cane syrup, cracked ice along with a slice of native pineopple and orange to make it more attractive."

"1800 And All That" by R. de Fleury, 1937

No. 1843

Planter's Punch--no.1

Recipe by "Slippery", Myrtle Bank Hotel, Kingston.

This drink is very popular on the Island of Jamaica, and principally at Kingston. It is made of:

• 1 Tablespoon Sugar Syrup
• The Juice of a fresh Lime
• 1 Wineglass Bacardi Rum

Shake well; strain into a tumbler, and grate Nutmeg and a pinch of Red Pepper on top. No Soda whatever.

"Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide," Vic Bergeron, 1947

• 3 oz. dark rum
• 1/2 oz. grenadine
• barspoon of bar sugar
• juice of a small lime
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Stir with crushed ice and strain into a collins glass 2/3 full of same

References

• The fruity rum drink known as Planter's Punch goes way back in time - Charleston City Paper