September 20th is National Rum Punch Day. While the word “punch” conjures up a large bowl of drink, the word actually derives from the number five in Sanskrit and Hindi.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF PUNCH

Punch is a general term for a broad assortment of mixed drinks, made with or without alcohol. The word “punch” derives from the Hindi word, panch, from the Sanskrit is panchan, five.

In India, panch was made from five different ingredients: sugar, lemon, water, tea or spices and an alcoholic spirit; hence the name.

The drink was served hot. (Although India is a very warm country, hot drinks are common, exemplified by the popular spiced tea, chai.)

Punch was “discovered” in India by the British sailors of the East India Company. The concept was brought to England in the early 17th century. Records from 1690 show hot punch being served in London’s punch houses*.

From there it spread to other countries. In northern Europe, hot spiced alcoholic drinks were popular in cold months.

It should be noted that the British sailors who brought punch home drank it at whatever temperature was available aboard ship.

Until the 17th century, ice was a luxury enjoyed by those who could afford to have ice cut in the winter and stored in ice houses.

By the 1720s, the record shows that cold punch bowls were a popular refreshment at the summer parties of the affluent [source: Claude.ai 2024-12-02].

By the late 1700s and early 1800s, both hot and cold punches were served, depending on the occasion. Check out the history of ice for iced drinks.

While Western punch recipes generally contain fruit or fruit juice, fruit isn’t essential. Nor is an elegant punch bowl required: a pitcher is fine, and in many cases, it’s more practical.

You can also make just one punch drink at a time. Here are two recipes for individual punch drinks—rum punch, of course, to celebrate National Rum Punch Day.

For serving in tall glasses, get some fun straws.

It’s hard to resist 144 cocktail umbrellas for $4.79, but we resisted.

The History Of Rum 
 
 
RECIPE #1: BACARDI RUM PUNCH

This classic rum punch uses two different types of rum: white and dark. If you don’t have both, use what you have.

Because this recipe is in “parts,” you can make anything from a single glass to a party portion, without any calculations.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all liquid ingredients iIn a large container. Refrigerate until chilled and enjoy. If making a large batch, just before serving…

2. POUR into a large punch bowl, stirring in ice. Garnish the bowl with floating lemon slices. Serve each glass with a lemon wheel.

 
RECIPE #2: COCONUT RUM PUNCH

This recipe, from Inspired By Charm, uses coconut rum and dark rum. No dark rum? Try it with all coconut rum.

[2] Get out your Mason jars (photo © The Blond Cook).

[3] Tall drinks deserve a fun straw (photo courtesy © Balloon Red Toy Store).

 
Preparation

1. POUR into a glass the pineapple juice, orange juice, 1 ounce dark rum and 1 ounce coconut rum. Gently stir.

2. SLOWLY POUR in a splash of grenadine. The grenadine will sink to the bottom to create the “sunset” coloration.

3. ADD 1/2 ounce of dark rum to the top. Garnish with a slice of lime and serve.
 
 
10 PUNCH MAKING TIPS
 
 
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*Punch houses were 17th- and 18th-century drinking establishments that specialized in serving punch made from a mix of spirits (often rum or brandy), citrus juice, sugar, water, and spices. Like ale houses and coffee houses, they were social hubs where people from various classes gathered to drink, converse, and conduct business. Punch houses were lively, informal, and sometimes rowdy, catering to sailors, merchants, and middle-class Londoners. The punch was served from large communal bowls. By the 19th century, gin and beer had become more popular. Punch drinking declined, leading to the disappearance of dedicated punch houses.