🥃 Planter's Punch

Planter's Punch is a classic rum cocktail associated with Jamaica: rum, lime juice, sugar and water. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists it among «The Unforgettables» and gives a recipe of 45 ml Jamaican rum, 15 ml lime juice and 30 ml sugar cane juice. The glass is filled with ice and diluted to taste.

A rhyming formula. The proportions were memorised as a rhyme: a part of sour, a part of sweet, a few of strong and a few of weak. According to the Punch drinks site, the earliest printed reference is a 1908 article with proportions of «two of sour, one and a half of sweet, three of strong and four of weak». Bartenders still debate whether the drink is too sweet, so recipes vary.

Origin. There is no single story. Jamaica and the British West Indies are named most often, and Difford's Guide credits the drink to Fred L. Myers, founder of the Myers's rum brand, in the late 19th century. Other authoritative guides only say that the exact author is unknown. The Savoy Cocktail Book calls a similar drink a Jamaican rum punch.

Ingredients. The base is rum; the IBA specifies Jamaican rum, which is rich and aromatic. Lime juice gives sourness, and sugar cane juice or syrup gives sweetness. Some bartenders add a few drops of Angostura bitters or pineapple and orange juice, and such versions differ from the IBA recipe.

Why it matters to you. Fruit flavour and ice hide the strength: the base is strong rum, and the glass is large. The amount of water and sugar depends on the bartender, so two drinks with the same name can differ a lot. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.