It’s a rum day weekend! @thirsty 2021 Drinks Holidays (thirsty. A guide to drinks) has Rum Punch Day scheduled for Monday September 20. In a place where summer never ends — #endlesssummer — who can resist a weekend full of great cocktails! Plus, all occasions present the perfect opportunity to celebrate and enjoy rum!

When it comes to alcohol, everyone has their preference and some are die-hard brand loyalists. I love the Appleton Estate signature – so warm, and honeyed! I love a nice dark rum like Blackwell. And if I want to kick it up several notches, I’ll go for a high-proof white like J Wray & Nephew or Rum Bar White Overproof – strong, flammable, and delicious!

Prestige Decanters says that Rum Punch Day “just appeared in a world that needed it”. Though it is not totally clear who invented the drink, it became the fashionable refreshment for artists, aristocrats, and intellectuals across Europe. By 1655, the “modern” rum punch was born when Jamaican rum from the West Indies became the alcohol of choice for much of the Western world. No surprise to me! Rum punch is most likely one of the “OGs” of tiki drinks and tiki cocktail culture. A tiki drink is invariably made with rum, and is usually bright, fruity and lavishly garnished (hold the umbrella).

Liquor.com suggests two types of rum (for depth and complexity). Pineapple and grenadine lend sweetness, while orange juice brightens everything, and a touch of lime cuts through the tropical sweetness. They recommend making your own grenadine with pomegranate juice, molasses and sugar adding a tart richness that can’t be matched with the pre-bottle stuff. There is a lot of rum for experimentation with this recipe for the creative drinker, and at-home mixologists! The only thing better than a good rum punch recipe is an easy-to-make one …because rum and fresh fruit juice! What a sublime combination and as perfect a pairing as you’ll find in the cocktail-verse. The beauty of rum punch is that you can use whatever bottles you have lying around! Maybe play around with the fresh fruit juices and substitute with other fresh fruit juices that may be in season as well!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 ounces light rum

• 1 1/4 ounces dark rum

• 2 ounces pineapple juice

• 1 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed

• 1/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

• 1/4 ounce grenadine

• Garnish: brandied or maraschino cherry

Steps

• Add light rum, dark rum, pineapple, orange and lime juices, and grenadine into a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled.

• Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh ice.

• Garnish with the cherry.

Serving Suggestion: Make a batch and enjoy any time of year! On a beach day or river flex! At home with your family, or home alone …because a party of one is better than no party at all!

Let’s lift your spirits! Find and follow me on Instagram @raihndrops