With the holidays just around the corner, check out a handful of inventive punch offerings from Banks Rums.
This festive season is all about sharing and uniting friends and family, and punch, along with being social and versatile, allows you to be truly imaginative. From the classic recipes made with five key ingredients – rum, spice, sugar, citrus and water – to the more adventurous interpretations using syrups and infusions, entertaining at home can be as simple or creative as you’d like to be.
In addition to easy, crowd-pleasing serves like the Elemental Punch and Swedish Punch that require little more than what you can find in your pantry – plus Banks Rum, of course – this year we’ve concocted a (slightly more challenging) cocktail that allows guests to drink their Christmas tree in our Pine-Apple Punch, using the trimmings of the Douglas Fir for a delicious, seasonal and fragrant infusion.
Cheers!
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Pine-Apple Punch
Level: Advanced | Prep: 24 hours | Serves: 20 drinks
Created by mixologist and drinks expert Nick Strangeway, this innovative punch continues to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of cocktails with infusions, syrups and solutions but we promise it can be made at home!
1. 1.5 liters Apple Juice
2. 1 liters Chilled Lemon Verbena tea
3. 500ml Banks 5 Island Blend Rum
4. 350ml Banks 7 Golden Blend Rum
5. 300ml Douglas Fir Syrup (see below)
6. 200ml of Douglas Fir Infused Banks 5 Island Blend
7. 200ml Apple Molasses
8. 100ml of Citric acid solution (available in all major supermarkets)
Method
1. To create the Douglas Fir Syrup, infuse 10g of gently dried Douglas Fir needles in 250ml of boiling water for about 10-15 mins before adding 250g of caster sugar.
2. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and then strain to remove the Douglas Fir Needles. Keep refrigerated before use.
3. Next make the verbena tea by infusing 3-4 large sprigs of fresh lemon verbena in 500ml of boiling water for 15 minutes. Or brew several verbena teabags for a few minutes.
4. Add 500ml of cold water and leave for another 10 minutes before straining. Keep refrigerated.
5. Next, infuse 5g of gently dried Douglas Fir Needles in 200ml of Banks 5 at room temperature for no longer than 24 hours. Strain before use.
6. To create your punch, combine all the ingredients in a large punch bowl with a large block of ice.
7. Garnish with dehydrated crab apple wheels and serve.
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Swedish Punch
Level: Intermediate | Prep: 1 hour | Serves: 10 drinks
As we continue to pay homage to the Scandinavian festive style, try the Swedish Punch created by one of the world’s best bartenders, Jim Meehan, and discover its clean notes and minimal ingredients.
1. 1 liters Banks 7 Golden Blend Rum
2. 750ml English Breakfast Tea
3. 300ml Lemon Juice
4. 250g Demerara Sugar
5. 1 tsp Orange Bitters
Method:
1. Brew the tea, then stir in the sugar until it dissolves.
2. Add 4 cups of ice to chill and dilute the mixture, then add bitters, lemon juice and rum.
3. Chill before service.
4. When ready to serve, add the liquid to a punchbowl filled with one large block of ice.
5. Use a ladle to pour in to punch cups filled with ice and garnish with grated nutmeg.
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Elemental Punch
Level: Easy | Prep: 24 hours | Serves: 10 drinks
Cocktail historian Dave Wondrich confirms that the Elemental Punch would have been one of the earliest recipes enjoyed.
With its simple ingredients and freshly grated nutmeg, this punch includes the five original ‘elements’ of punch: sugar, spice, rum, citrus and water.
1. 1 liters Water
2. 700ml Banks 5 Island Blend or Banks 7 Golden Blend Rum
3. 180g Sugar
4. 4 Lemons
5. 1 Nutmeg
Method:
1. Peel 4 lemons in long spirals and put the peels in a sealable 500ml jar.
2. Add 180g of white sugar.
3. Seal, shake and leave to sit unrefrigerated overnight.
4. An hour before you need the punch, open the jar with the peels and lemon oil and add 180ml freshly-squeezed, strained lemon juice.
5. Close the jar, shake well until sugar has dissolved and refrigerate.
6. When you need the punch add the contents of your jar, peels and all.
7. Add 700ml bottle of Banks 5 Island Blend or Banks 7 Golden Blend rum and 1l of cold still water and stir.
8. Garnish by finely grating a quarter of a whole nutmeg across the top of the ice cube.
9. To serve, ladle 90ml portions into punch cups filled with ice.
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