Rum Punch

Considering its famed national cocktail is Rum Punch, and that almost 2000 rum shops polka-dot the mere 166 square miles of this country, it's no wonder for many, Barbados is synonymous with this sip.

Any guesses who is the biggest importer of rum from Barbados? You betcha — it's the good ol' U.S.A. You may be familiar with the largest Bajan (Bajan basically refers to anything relating to Barbados) rum distillery — Mount Gay. With documents dating back to 1703, this rum house's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of rum! Bajan Rum Punch is one of the oldest rum punches.

The Barbados Rum Punch Formula

The drink is simple and singsong-y if you like a poetic drink. Take it from the locals; this little ditty is the perfect Bajan rum punch recipe. It is an old poem for creating Bajan (Barbados) rum punch.

One of sour, two of sweet
Three of strong and four of weak
A dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice
Serve well chilled with plenty of ice

Which translates to the recipe below, but feel free to tweak the components to your taste.

Bajan Rum Punch

1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed (sour)
1 ounce simple syrup (for fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, the sweet)
1 1/2 ounces dark Bajan rum (the older, the better) - Barbadian dark rum
2 ounces water (weak)
2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Freshly grated nutmeg*

Stir all ingredients and pour over ice.

Makes 1 drink

If making a pitcher-full, simply multiply the recipe by 8.

*Add a little fresh grated nutmeg if you like.