Planter's Punch Cocktail

Need a boozy pitcher cocktail for your next summer party? Planter's Punch is it. Make the mix in advance and store it in the fridge, then add rum when you're ready to serve!

By
Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
Nancy founded The Backyard Bartender, wrote a cocktail column for The Kitchn, and started writing for Simply Recipes in 2018.
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Updated June 07, 2022
Nancy Mitchell
Planter's Punch ingredients - three planter's punch cocktails on yellow coasters
Nancy Mitchell

Are you looking for a fun drink, one that's a little tropical, not too hard to make, and sure to be a crowd-pleasing hit? I have just the thing: Planter's Punch!

Made with rum, lime juice, sugar, and a secret ingredient or two, you can combine the ingredients ahead of time. It's the perfect party drink!

What is Planter's Punch? - cocktail on yellow coaster
Nancy Mitchell

What Is Planter's Punch?

First, a little history.

In 1878, the Victorian Magazine Fun published this recipe for a Planter’s Punch. Despite the magazine’s faint praise for the concoction, this is not a bad drink (quite the contrary!), although there have been many variations of it over the years. Most involve dark rum and a plethora of fruit juices—lime, pineapple, orange, sometimes passionfruit.

Every recipe is a little different. (As Wayne Curtis wrote in his book And a Bottle of Rum, "Planter’s Punch is a class of drink rather than a single cocktail.")

Planter's Punch batch cocktail - crushed ice in glass on yellow coaster
Nancy Mitchell

A Modern Take on Planter's Punch

I tried a lot of these variations, and my favorite was one I discovered almost by accident in Ted Haigh’s excellent Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. The recipe— made with Jamaican rum and a pre-made "secret mix"—is by Jasper LeFranc, the former head bartender of the Bay Roc Hotel in Montego Bay.

I originally spotted it in Ted Haigh’s book, but the proportions used here are (mostly) ones from the (now defunct site) 3st of the Month. With just one kind of fruit juice, this may seem a little less flashy than other recipes, but I love this version, because the Angostura bitters and particularly the nutmeg give it a richness and depth of flavor that you don’t get from just rum and fruit juice.

Make-Ahead "Secret Mix"

Although the "secret mix" might seem a little intimidating, it’s really quite simple to make. You can put it together ahead of time (up to two days in advance) and store it in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to make drinks, all you need to do is add the rum. You can make drinks individually, or put together a whole pitcher at once.

The Rum to Use in Planter's Punch

The starting point for Planter's Punch is a dark rum, preferably Jamaican. Haigh asks for Coruba, although I’ve also had luck with Appleton Estate.

Want More Rum Recipes? Here You Go!

Planter's Punch Cocktail

Prep Time 5 mins
Cold Steep 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings 8 serving

If fresh-ground nutmeg is not an option, you can substitute 3/4 teaspoon of the already-ground version. But if time allows, go for the fresh ground. As someone who had never bothered to grate fresh nutmeg before, it was a revelation.

I think 1:1 is a good ratio of secret mix to rum, although if you like a stronger drink, you can adjust it to be as much as 1 part secret mix to 2 parts rum; 1 1/2 parts rum would probably be nice, too.

Ingredients

For the Secret Mix (enough for 8 drinks or 1 pitcher):

  • 8 ounces lime juice

  • 1/2 cup turbinado

  • 1/2 ounce bitters

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

To Mix 1 Cocktail:

  • 1 1/2 ounces rum

  • 1 1/2 ounce "secret mix"

  • Crushed ice

  • Mint or cocktail cherry, for garnish

Method

  1. Make the secret mix:

    Stir the secret mix ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Allow to steep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

  2. Make the punch:

    Add rum, ice, and secret mix to a shaker. Shake for about 20 seconds, and then pour everything into an old fashioned glass, or a comparable 6- to 8-ounce glass.

  3. Garnish:

    Garnish with mint, or a cocktail cherry, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

    To make a whole pitcher: Make the secret mix, then add all of it and an equal volume of rum (about a cup and a half, or 12 ounces) to a pitcher. Add 10 to 12 ice cubes and stir vigorously. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to drink, then serve over crushed ice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
162 Calories
0g Fat
16g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 41mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.