Tiki Classics: Ti’ Punch

Ti’ Punch actually references the island of Martinique, where rhum agricole has an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC).  This distinction refers to the rules and geographical areas where production of a product can be made.   These rhums are made from fermented sugar cane juice instead of molasses.  The drink itself is therefore designed to highlight and enjoy the rhum, at ones own leisure.  As a result, it’s not uncommon for an individual enjoying Ti’ Punch to be given a bottle of rhum agricole, a lime slice, and the simple.  The drink is relatively straightforward, and you should enjoy experimenting with it as you will.

Ti’ Punch

Ti’ Punch

2 oz

Rhum Agricole

Bar Spoon

Simple Syrup

1

Lime Round

Combine simple syrup and rhum agricole in a rocks glass. Swizzle together with a swizzle or bar spoon. Take a silver dollar size piece of lime and squeeze approximately 6 – 10 drops of lime juice into the drink, and drop the lime into the drink. No garnish / ice.

Ti’ Punch is a cocktail founded on the idea that the spirit is already of great quality, and that you should therefore not make significant changes to it.  Unsurprisingly, a Ti’ Punch tastes a lot like the spirit, but opened up slightly.  The addition of the simple smooth some rough edges, while the pinch of lime opens up the drink.  While it seems like those two additions wouldn’t make a huge difference, they are quite surprising in the impact.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The hardest part of a Ti’ Punch is realizing its one of the few cocktails made without ice.  In fact, in our research of the drink it occasionally references that in Martinique it would be sacrilege to add ice.  We recommend you try the drink without to see the change it makes compared with trying the rhum agricole straight.   You can always toss in an ice cube for your own enjoyment, no one will judge.

A final note on naming and cocktail variations.  If you change the rum to a rhum vieux (or put another way, an aged agricole rhum) will change the name of the drink to a Ti’ Punch Vieux.  This is a minor distinction, but one that might save you some headaches down the road.

• Rhum Agricole / Rhum Agricole Vieux –  Rhum Agricole is distilled from sugar cane juice and has a very distinct herbaceous character.  For this recipe, it’s recommended you find one that is at minimum 50% A.B.V., which will help convey additional flavor.  Blanc (or unaged) is most common for this recipe, but you can also use aged Rhum Agricole Vieux.  For our testing we used Rhum J.M. Blanc.
• Simple Syrup –  A traditional 1:1 water to sugar simple is classic for this recipe.  You can also make a sugarcane simple if you have access to the required sugarcane.
• Lime –  The lime is a key element to this drink.  You’re looking to cut the lime into a silver dollar sized piece, preferably from the side or end.   The reason for wanting zest is to use a handle when you’re squeezing into the cocktail.  You’re looking for just enough to get 6 – 10 drops of lime juice out of squeezing it.