Rum Punch (original)
Rum Punch: The Caribbean Classic Born from British Trade
The first known written reference to punch appears in a letter sent on 28th September 1632 by Robert Addams who was stationed in India and worked for the British East India Company Difford's Guide. The word is commonly said to come from Hindi पाँच (pāñch), meaning "five", as the drink was frequently made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, juice from either a lime or a lemon, water, and spices Wikipedia.
The term punch was first recorded in English documents in 1632. At the time, most punches were of the wassail type made with a wine or brandy base. But around 1655, Jamaican-produced rum came into use, and the "modern" punch emerged Wikipedia. When the ships docked from the Caribbean, as William Dampier wrote in his book of 1697 A New Voyage Around the World, they were "always well stored with rum, sugar and lime juice to make punch, to hearten their men when they are at work." Difford's Guide
A now-famous rhyme from Barbados defined the style: "One of sour, two of sweet, Three of strong, four of weak." That meant: 1 part lime juice, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts rum, and 4 parts water—finished with grated nutmeg House Of Applejay. This formula became the foundation of Caribbean rum punch, balancing flavor and refreshment while the citrus helped prevent scurvy among sailors.
RECIPE:
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz simple syrup
3 oz dark rum
4 oz water
Freshly grated nutmeg
Method:
Combine lime juice, simple syrup, rum, and water in pitcher
Stir well with ice
Pour into glasses over ice
Garnish with grated nutmeg