Planter’s Punch

by Pipso Calypso

Throwback to when I was in Accra in 2019.

Here I sit in the living room. The leather sofa is slowly getting glued to my skin while I watch water droplets condensate on the glass in my hand, uncertain if they synchronized to sweat dripping down my skin.

I needed a drink! Day drinking is an advantage of being filthy rich or hopelessly unemployed, with me mentally sliding somewhere into the margins. Many of the classics are just not what floats my boat when it comes to recreational drinking while doing nothing at home. A quick glance at the weather app on my phone tells me that it is 24°C but in the sun it feels like straight up summer already.

I skimmed through the staples for inspiration. Difford’s Guide, the IBA cocktails, random Google searches… yes, stick what we like, stick what you know. We’re going to make a Planter’s Punch. While it will quickly carry me towards that blissful buzz of having a cocktail in the heat, it won’t straight up destroy me like having some Dry Martinis or Margaritas (another Summer favorite of mine).

The Planter’s Punch knows no fixed recipe. It is based on a rum punch which typically gets diluted with some fruit juice.  There are recipes which limit the juices to just some lime while others go full potato by adding multiple fruit juices such as pineapple or orange. I had some citrus fruits lounging in my fruit basket, ready to rot in peace without getting touched so instead of planning what to buy, I use what we got.

Planter’s Punch

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

  • 2.5 parts aged rum
  • 3/4 parts fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 part Grenadine
  • 1/2 part sugar syrup
  • 2 parts fresh orange juice
  • (Optional) 2 parts soda water

Instructions

Start by squeezing your limes and oranges. You don’t want seeds or fruit pieces in the juice so fine strain them.

Add the rum, juices, grenadine and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes and shake well.

Strain the content into a bowl or glass which is filled with ice cubes or crushed ice.

Optionally you can finish up with adding some soda water to further dilute the cocktail and make it a bit easier.

Decorate with a slice of orange.

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