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Bajan rum punch
Bajan rum punch: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak, with bitters and fresh nutmeg
Every Barbadian knows the rhyme: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. It is how rum punch is mixed for Sunday lunch, at beach limes, at the Friday night fish fry in Oistins and through the Crop Over festival in July and August. The punch is for adults only and it is strong, so pour it over plenty of ice and drink responsibly. Made right, it tastes bright and tangy from lime, rounded by brown-sugar syrup, warm with golden Barbados rum and finished by aromatic bitters and the woody smell of fresh nutmeg on top. The usual mistake is reading 'weak' as fruit juice or adding extra rum: the four of weak is water (and melting ice), and swapping in sweet juices makes the punch cloying. Make the syrup properly, measure by volume and taste before you add the last of the water. It is ready when the sweet and sour are in balance, nothing catches your throat and the jug is beaded with cold. It also keeps 2 days in the fridge, so it can be made ahead. Chef's tip: grate the nutmeg over each glass at the table; ready-ground nutmeg has lost the smell that makes Bajan punch what it is.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 5 ½ oz demerara sugar
- ½ cup water
For the punch
- ½ cup lime juicefreshly squeezed, about 5 limes
- 1 ¼ cups golden Barbados rum
- 1 ¾ cups cold water
- 6 dashes aromatic bitters
- 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes
- 1 whole nutmegfor grating
For the alcohol-free version
- 4 oz demerara sugar (optional)
- ½ cup water (optional)
- ½ cup lime juice (optional)
- 1 ¼ cups mixed fruit juices (optional)orange, pineapple and passion fruit or guava
- 1 ¾ cups cold water (optional)
- 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes (optional)
- 1 whole nutmeg (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 5 ½ oz demerara sugar and ½ cup water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is clear and golden, then let it cool. You will have about 200 ml.
5 minStep 2: In a large jug stir together ½ cup lime juice, the cooled syrup, 1 ¼ cups golden Barbados rum and 1 ¼ cups cold water. Taste: it should be tart and sweet at once, with the rum warm but not burning; add the rest of the ½ cup cold water if it is too strong.
3 minStep 3: Shake in 6 dashes aromatic bitters and stir. Serve now, or cover and chill until needed.
1 minStep 4: Pour over 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes in short glasses and grate a little 1 whole nutmeg over each one.
2 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: dissolve 4 oz demerara sugar in ½ cup water over medium heat until clear, then cool.
5 minStep 6: Alcohol-free version: stir the syrup with ½ cup lime juice, 1 ¼ cups mixed fruit juices and 1 ¾ cups cold water in a jug, pour over 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes and grate 1 whole nutmeg on top.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bajan rum punch take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of demerara sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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