The beautiful days are coming, and with them the celebrations with friends or family. If there is one thing that everyone agrees on on this kind of occasion, and that is always expected at the turn, it is punch. Its recipes are often kept secret. It is sometimes very mild (in appearance), sometimes full-bodied, but the best ones have that little something that makes the difference.
The best known is the one called Punch Planteur, or Punch Créole. It is easy to make, quick to prepare, and can be multiplied endlessly. Rum , fruit, the recipe is simple. But we do not always know the proportions and the little secrets of an unforgettable planter.
First of all, it is a matter of respecting a few simple rules. They come from the very old tradition of rum and punch. Its name comes from the Sanskrit "panch", which means "five". It is thought that the custom of punch arrived in the Caribbean with the Indians ("coolies") who arrived to work in the cane fields in the middle of the 19th century.
Originally, five ingredients were therefore necessary: rum, fruit, sugar, spices, and tea! Although tea has now been abandoned in the Creole recipe, we will still manage to have our 5 ingredients 😉
There are several types of punches: Jamaican Rum Punch, Charles Dickens Punch, Bombay Government Punch… But we are going to focus on the traditional Creole punch that is prepared in the French Antilles.
The recipe for planter's punch
Here is our recipe, tested and approved many times by our team, always ready to bend over backwards for you and sacrifice themselves for science!
For approximately 20-25 people:
1 L of white agricultural rum
1/2 L of old agricultural rum
2 L of guava juice
2 L of pineapple juice
The juice of 4 squeezed limes
25 cl of cane sugar syrup
Spices of your choice: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, star anise, etc.
10 dashes of Angostura Bitters . Here is our fifth ingredient that replaces the vegetal side of the tea, and which superbly enhances the punch!
Our advice:
It is very easy to prepare your own cane sugar syrup, and even add spices directly to it!
Pour 50cl of water into a saucepan, add 500g of cane sugar and the spices you want, whole or powdered. Heat while stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Leave to cool with a lid on. If you have used whole spices (cinnamon sticks etc.), filter the preparation and keep it cool in a small bottle.
Ideally, you can prepare the punch the day before, but this is not obligatory.
As for the choice of rums, we of course recommend agricultural rums.
White rum is ideally a 50% agricultural rum. In this category, we find the great classics such as La Favorite Cœur de Canne 50° or ReimonenQ Blanc Cœur de Chauffe 50° for example.
In the category of old rums, a Saint James VSOP 43° or a HSE Black Sheriff 40° will be perfect for bringing a woody and spicy touch.
Don't hesitate to share your feedback, your tips, and why not your little secrets!