2 oz. aged rum
3⁄4 oz. lime juice
3⁄4 oz. pineapple juice
3⁄4 oz. water
1⁄2 oz. rich demerara syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon spiced Angostura bitters
1 pinch salt
1-2 pineapple fronds, for garnish
1 mint bouquet, for garnish
1 lime wheel, for garnish
1 orange slice, for garnish
Combine all in a shaker tin. Short shake -- about five seconds. Strain into a Collins glass and add pebble (or crushed) ice, almost to the top. Add a straw and garnish with 1-2 pineapple frond(s), mint (slapped), a lime wheel, and a slice of orange. Mound a bit more crushed ice on top before serving.
Planter’s Punch is a centuries-old Caribbean recipe and was the basis for Donn Beach’s earliest “Rum Rhapsodies.” St. John Frizell and his bar staff at Gage & Tollner serve this excellent rendition of the classic, which appeared on the G&T cocktail list in the 1940s, and likely before.
1½ oz. oude genever (Bols)
½ oz. Batavia arrack (van Oosten)
¼ oz. oloroso sherry (Hidalgo “Faraon”)
¼ oz. crème de banane (Tempus Fugit)
¾ teaspoon lime-ginger syrup*
4 drops chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers “Aztec Chocolate”)
Coffee bean, for garnish (BCRC)
Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a small, stemmed cocktail glass. Grate coffee bean on top using a microplane.
*Zest 4 limes using a microplane. You should have about 1⁄3 cup (9g), not tightly packed. Chop ginger until you have about 2 Tablespoons (8g). Place zest and ginger in the bowl of a food processor or a blender; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup (220g) boiling water, 1 cup (220g) sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir until completely dissolved. Add sugar mixture to food processor or blender. Blend with lime-ginger mixture for 30 seconds. Fine strain and store in a jar, refrigerated, until ready to use. (You’ll have some syrup leftover; it’ll keep in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.)
1½ oz. Spanish brandy (Lustau Brandy de Jerez)
½ oz. aged rum (Smith & Cross)
¼ oz. ruby port (Noval Black)
¼ oz. Swedish Punsch (Kronan)
¾ teaspoon coffee syrup (made with BCRC)
1 dash Bogart’s bitters
Orange peel, for garnish
Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a small, stemmed cocktail or sherry glass. Garnish with an expressed orange twist.
1½ oz. rye (Old Overholt)
½ oz. unaged apple brandy (Laird’s)
¼ oz. Madeira (H&H Rainwater - medium dry)
¼ oz. apricot liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
¾ teaspoon brown sugar syrup
1 dash black walnut bitters (Fee Brothers)
Nutmeg, for garnish
Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a small, stemmed cocktail glass. Grate fresh nutmeg atop.
