Lychee Soju – Recipe (그열매 소주)

Lychee Soju

Lychee Soju (그열매 소주)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Korean
Servings

4-5

servings
Calories

120

kcal
ABV

10%

Total time

3

minutes

How to make Lychee soju.

Ingredients

  • 375 mLs 375 Soju

  • 12 oz 12 Soda Water

  • 3 oz 3 Lychee Syrup

Directions

  • Technique: Simple Combine
  • Chill all ingredients beforehand since no ice is added to this drink.
  • Combine all the ingredients together in a pitcher.
  • Give the drink a few turns to mix and serve.

Featured Video

How To Make Lychee Soju?

Typically no one makes lychee soju. It’s just bought as preflavored soju, but it’s way better to make your own. A lychee soju cocktail is similar to the lychee martini in taste but a bit more drinkable since it has a much lower ABV. Another method of making this is to mix equal parts soju with lychee calpico. That recipe is slightly sweet and easy to drink, but it s simply alcoholic calpico. As I have listed, mixing soju, soda water, and lychee syrup still retains the main qualities of soju while giving it the essence of lychee.

How To Properly Make A Flavored Soju Drink.

A mixed soju drink should still taste like soju, and any added flavors should give the essence of that flavor to the soju. When adding fruit juices, only a tiny amount is needed, and the drink should be light in color. In the united states, soju is often compared to vodka and thus used in a similar manner. It adds flavorless, invisible alcohol to a drink that tastes like something other than vodka. So you often find watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt soju cocktail recipes that are half watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt. Those recipes are geared toward American palates and use too much juice. I asked a few of my Korean friends familiar with this and looked in some untranslated native Korean cookbooks, and they all pointed to similar kinds of recipes.

The most common soju cocktail structure I found was almost always half soju, half Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and enough juice to add a light flavor. Soju bottles mostly come in a half-fifth (375 mLs), so most recipes are one bottle of soju, one 12 oz can of cider (360 mLs, which is close enough), and 3 to 5 oz fruit juice. In the case of watermelon and pineapple-flavored soju, no actual juice is even added. The most authentic Korean recipes have the soju and cider sit inside the hallowed-out fruit to infuse over a few hours. If you don’t have 3 to 4 hours to let the alcohol infuse inside a hollowed-out pineapple or watermelon, adding 3 to 5 oz of juice results in a similar flavor. Remember that you are trying to lightly flavor the soju, not make alcoholic juice.

Brief History Of Soju.

It is believed that Korea was introduced to Soju (소주) in the 13th century during the Mongol invasions of 1231 to 1259. The Mongols most likely learned distillation from the Persians during their simultaneous innovation of Levant (Syria region). Traditionally distilled from rice wine (Sake), soju can also be made from fermented tapioca and sweet potatoes today. Soju production mainly remained unchanged from the 13th century until the 1960s, when government regulations were changed to allow sweet potatoes and tapioca use. While neutral in flavor, soju is mixed with a tiny amount of sugar and citric acid to add a little taste and buffer the burn of the alcohol.

The quality of soju is loosely correlated to its ABV. The higher the ABV, the better the quality typically. The higher-quality soju range from 30% to 55% ABV. Most soju imported into the United States is below 25% because any spirit over that percentage is deemed a hard liquor and thus subject to a higher tax. Restaurants with a wine and beer license can also sell it without needing a hard liquor license. The ABV of soju also indicates how it is intended to be consumed.

Soju with an ABV above 30% is seen as a higher quality soju and thus more for sipping and savoring. Soju in the 18 to 24% range is usually used for mixing. Since most soju cocktails are half lemon-lime soda with a bit of fruit juice for flavor, that puts the final ABV in the range of 9 to 12% ABV, this range is seen as an enjoyable and easily drinkable percentage. The last range is the 10 to 15% ABV sojus’. These low-ABV sojus are often already flavored and intended to be consumed directly without mixing. When buying soju for making cocktails, it’s important to notice the ABV because if the ABV is too low, the drink will be flat, and it’s not appealing to drink a 24% soju straight.

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Glögg – Classic Recipe & History

Glogg
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Quick Step-by-Step Glögg Recipe Video

Glögg

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Swedish
Servings

13

servings
Calories

120

kcal
Total time

2

hours 

How to make a traditional glogg.

Ingredients

  • 5 whole 5 Cardamom Pods

  • 1 whole 1 Cinnamon Stick

  • 2 oz 2 Raisins

  • 1 tsp 1 Vanilla Extract

  • 1 tsp 1 Bitter Almond Extract

  • 1.5 cups 1.5 Simple Syrup

  • 1 bottle 1 Red Wine

  • 1 bottle 1 Brandy

Directions

  • Technique: Infusion
  • Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, raisins, vanilla extract, and bitter almond extract into a container with brandy. Let the spices infuse into the brandy for 24 to 48 hours.gloggglogg
  • Before serving, gently heat red wine in a stovetop pot. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Do not boil.glogg
  • Once the wine has warmed up, turn off the heat and add the spiced brandy mixture while straining out the spices. Discard the spices and serve.glogg

Recipe Video

A Brief History Of Glögg And Mulled Wines.

Glögg is a Swedish mulled wine similar to other mulled wines from other countries. I’ve had many mulled wines, and this style is my favorite. Keep in mind there are as many Glögg recipes as there are Swedish Families, with each family having its own unique family recipe. Glögg is the shorthand way of saying “glödgad vin,” which roughly translates to “hot wine” or “mulled wine,” and the term was most likely coined around the early 17th century. Spiced wines, in general, date to the Romans. They had a spiced wine they called Hippocras. Unfortunately, there are no actual Roman recipes for it. At least that I could find. It was not till the 1300s that the English and French started to specify the spices to use, and it’s essentially what is still used today.

Associated with the holidays in modern times, the process of mulling and cooking wine and beer originally began as a way to make old alcohol taste better. Before modern sterile bottling and refrigeration, beer and wine had a limited shelf life. Adding spices and heating the alcohol was one way to turn the taste and help mask foul flavors. One such recipe for a hot ale flip comes from the 1669 book “The Closet” by Sir Kenelme Digbie is an ale with a honey recipe specifically for beer that is about to go bad. Sir Kenelme Digbie described cooking old beer with honey would help the turned old beer and “set the whole a working a fresh, and casting out foulness.” Like most other methods of early food preservation, mulled wines eventually became more refined and desirable. Mulled wines found a home as fancy drinks at holidays and church festivities.

While Americans are usually very good at mixing alcoholic drinks, mulled wines are best made outside the US, and Glögg is an excellent example of that. The issue with American mulled wine recipes is that they cook the wine for hours on end in a slow cooker like a tough hunk of pork shoulder. Using a slow cooker to make mulled wine became trendy in the 1970s, and mulled wines have never recovered. Skip the slow cooker and infuse the fortifying spirit with the spices for 1 to 2 days, or if pressed for time, boil the spices in a small amount of water for one to two hours and add the water to the wine.

Recipe Resources

NOTE: This recipe is a combination of an 1898 wine blending manual I found on Huffpost and an elderly neighbor of mine who gave me his father’s old recipe. The HuffPost author doesn’t cite the recipe, but the ingredients and volumes used look like other old recipes I have found. I believe it’s real.

Also, the 1898 recipes use bitter almonds, but I have them substituted for bitter almond extract. BE WARNED! Real bitter almonds are pretty poisonous if not prepared and cooked correctly. If you do not know how to cook with them and test for hydrogen cyanide after, it’s best to be safe and use bitter almond extract instead.

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Yogurt Soju – Recipe (요구르트 소주)

Yogurt Soju
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How to make yogurt soju along with other soju cocktails

Yogurt Soju (요구르트 소주)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Korean
Servings

4-5

servings
Calories

120

kcal
ABV

10%

Total time

3

minutes

How to make yogurt soju.

Ingredients

  • 375 mLs 375 Soju

  • 12 oz 12 Chilsung Cider or Sprite

  • 2 Bottles (2.7 oz) 2 Cultured Probiotic Yogurt Drink

Directions

  • Technique: Simple Combine
  • Chill all ingredients beforehand since no ice is added to this drink.
  • Combine all the ingredients together in a pitcher.
  • Give the drink a few turns to mix and serve.

Recipe Video

How To Make Yogurt Soju?

There are two ways to make yogurt soju. The more standard Korean way is to cut off the top of a yogurt and carve out the insides, fill it with half soju and Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and let it sit for 3 to 4 hours as the yogurt flavor infuses into the drink. This makes for a punch that is easy to make ahead of time and gives the soju a hint of yogurt flavor.

The second way to make yogurt soju is to mix one bottle of soju (375 mLs) with one 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda (360 mLs) and add 3 to 5 oz of yogurt to taste. This second method is much faster and results in a similar final taste to the more traditional Korean style. The drink should still clearly taste of soju with a hint of fruit flavor and only lightly colored.

How To Properly Make A Flavored Soju Drink.

A mixed soju drink should still taste like soju, and any added flavors should give the essence of that flavor to the soju. When adding fruit juices, only a tiny amount is needed, and the drink should be light in color. In the united states, soju is often compared to vodka and thus used in a similar manner. It adds flavorless, invisible alcohol to a drink that tastes like something other than vodka. So you often find watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt soju cocktail recipes that are half watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt. Those recipes are geared toward American palates and use too much juice. I asked a few of my Korean friends familiar with this and looked in some untranslated native Korean cookbooks, and they all pointed to similar kinds of recipes.

The most common soju cocktail structure I found was almost always half soju, half Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and enough juice to add a light flavor. Soju bottles mostly come in a half-fifth (375 mLs), so most recipes are one bottle of soju, one 12 oz can of cider (360 mLs, which is close enough), and 3 to 5 oz fruit juice. In the case of watermelon and pineapple-flavored soju, no actual juice is even added. The most authentic Korean recipes have the soju and cider sit inside the hallowed-out fruit to infuse over a few hours. If you don’t have 3 to 4 hours to let the alcohol infuse inside a hollowed-out pineapple or watermelon, adding 3 to 5 oz of juice results in a similar flavor. Remember that you are trying to lightly flavor the soju, not make alcoholic juice.

Brief History Of Soju.

It is believed that Korea was introduced to Soju (소주) in the 13th century during the Mongol invasions of 1231 to 1259. The Mongols most likely learned distillation from the Persians during their simultaneous innovation of Levant (Syria region). Traditionally distilled from rice wine (Sake), soju can also be made from fermented tapioca and sweet potatoes today. Soju production mainly remained unchanged from the 13th century until the 1960s, when government regulations were changed to allow sweet potatoes and tapioca use. While neutral in flavor, soju is mixed with a tiny amount of sugar and citric acid to add a little taste and buffer the burn of the alcohol.

The quality of soju is loosely correlated to its ABV. The higher the ABV, the better the quality typically. The higher-quality soju range from 30% to 55% ABV. Most soju imported into the United States is below 25% because any spirit over that percentage is deemed a hard liquor and thus subject to a higher tax. Restaurants with a wine and beer license can also sell it without needing a hard liquor license. The ABV of soju also indicates how it is intended to be consumed.

Soju with an ABV above 30% is seen as a higher quality soju and thus more for sipping and savoring. Soju in the 18 to 24% range is usually used for mixing. Since most soju cocktails are half lemon-lime soda with a bit of fruit juice for flavor, that puts the final ABV in the range of 9 to 12% ABV, this range is seen as an enjoyable and easily drinkable percentage. The last range is the 10 to 15% ABV sojus’. These low-ABV sojus are often already flavored and intended to be consumed directly without mixing. When buying soju for making cocktails, it’s important to notice the ABV because if the ABV is too low, the drink will be flat, and it’s not appealing to drink a 24% soju straight.

Recipe Resources

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Watermelon Soju – Recipe (수박 소주)

Watermelon Soju
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How to make yogurt soju along with other soju cocktails

Watermelon Soju (수박소주)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Korean
Servings

4-5

servings
Calories

120

kcal
ABV

10%

Total time

3

minutes

How to make watermelon soju.

Ingredients

  • 375 mLs 375 Soju

  • 12 oz 12 Chilsung Cider or Sprite

  • 3 oz 3 Watermelon Juice

Directions

  • Hollowed Out Watermelon Method
  • Cut the top off and hollow out a whole watermelon while leaving a thin layer of pink flesh inside. Serve fruit slices to the children.
  • Fill the watermelon halfway with soju and the remaining half with lemon-lime soda.
  • Let the drink infuse for 2 to 3 hours. Serve the soju cocktail in individual cups.
  • Watermelon Juice Method
  • In a pitcher, combine one bottle of soju with one 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda.
  • Add 3 to 5 oz (90 to 150 mLs) juice to taste, stir and serve.

Recipe Video

How To Make Watermelon Soju?

There are two ways to make watermelon soju. The more standard Korean way is to cut off the top of a watermelon and carve out the insides, fill it with half soju and Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and let it sit for 3 to 4 hours as the watermelon flavor infuses into the drink. This makes for a punch that is easy to make ahead of time and gives the soju a hint of watermelon flavor.

The second way to make watermelon soju is to mix one bottle of soju (375 mLs) with one 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda (360 mLs) and add 3 to 5 oz of watermelon juice to taste. This second method is much faster and results in a similar final taste to the more traditional Korean style. The drink should still clearly taste of soju with a hint of fruit flavor and only lightly colored.

How To Properly Make A Flavored Soju Drink.

A mixed soju drink should still taste like soju, and any added flavors should give the essence of that flavor to the soju. When adding fruit juices, only a tiny amount is needed, and the drink should be light in color. In the united states, soju is often compared to vodka and thus used in a similar manner. It adds flavorless, invisible alcohol to a drink that tastes like something other than vodka. So you often find watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt soju cocktail recipes that are half watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt. Those recipes are geared toward American palates and use too much juice. I asked a few of my Korean friends familiar with this and looked in some untranslated native Korean cookbooks, and they all pointed to similar kinds of recipes.

The most common soju cocktail structure I found was almost always half soju, half Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and enough juice to add a light flavor. Soju bottles mostly come in a half-fifth (375 mLs), so most recipes are one bottle of soju, one 12 oz can of cider (360 mLs, which is close enough), and 3 to 5 oz fruit juice. In the case of watermelon and pineapple-flavored soju, no actual juice is even added. The most authentic Korean recipes have the soju and cider sit inside the hallowed-out fruit to infuse over a few hours. If you don’t have 3 to 4 hours to let the alcohol infuse inside a hollowed-out pineapple or watermelon, adding 3 to 5 oz of juice results in a similar flavor. Remember that you are trying to lightly flavor the soju, not make alcoholic juice.

Brief History Of Soju.

It is believed that Korea was introduced to Soju (소주) in the 13th century during the Mongol invasions of 1231 to 1259. The Mongols most likely learned distillation from the Persians during their simultaneous innovation of Levant (Syria region). Traditionally distilled from rice wine (Sake), soju can also be made from fermented tapioca and sweet potatoes today. Soju production mainly remained unchanged from the 13th century until the 1960s, when government regulations were changed to allow sweet potatoes and tapioca use. While neutral in flavor, soju is mixed with a tiny amount of sugar and citric acid to add a little taste and buffer the burn of the alcohol.

The quality of soju is loosely correlated to its ABV. The higher the ABV, the better the quality typically. The higher-quality soju range from 30% to 55% ABV. Most soju imported into the United States is below 25% because any spirit over that percentage is deemed a hard liquor and thus subject to a higher tax. Restaurants with a wine and beer license can also sell it without needing a hard liquor license. The ABV of soju also indicates how it is intended to be consumed.

Soju with an ABV above 30% is seen as a higher quality soju and thus more for sipping and savoring. Soju in the 18 to 24% range is usually used for mixing. Since most soju cocktails are half lemon-lime soda with a bit of fruit juice for flavor, that puts the final ABV in the range of 9 to 12% ABV, this range is seen as an enjoyable and easily drinkable percentage. The last range is the 10 to 15% ABV sojus’. These low-ABV sojus are often already flavored and intended to be consumed directly without mixing. When buying soju for making cocktails, it’s important to notice the ABV because if the ABV is too low, the drink will be flat, and it’s not appealing to drink a 24% soju straight.

Recipe Resources

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Pineapple Soju – Recipe (파인애플 소주)

Pineapple Soju
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How to make yogurt soju along with other soju cocktails

Pineapple Soju (파인애플 소주)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Korean
Servings

4-5

servings
Calories

120

kcal
ABV

10%

Total time

3

minutes

How to make pineapple soju

Ingredients

  • 375 mLs 375 Soju

  • 12 oz 12 Chilsung Cider or Sprite

  • 3 oz 3 Pineapple Juice

Directions

  • Hollowed Pineapple Method
  • Cut the top off and hollow out a whole pineapple. Serve fruit slices to the children.
  • Fill the pineapple halfway with soju and the remaining half with lemon-lime soda.
  • Let the drink infuse for 2 to 3 hours. Serve the soju cocktail in individual cups.
  • Pineapple Juice Method
  • In a pitcher, combine one bottle of soju with one 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda.
  • Add 3 to 5 oz (90 to 150 mLs) juice to taste, stir and serve.

Recipe Video

How To Make Pineapple Soju?

There are two ways to make pineapple soju. The more standard Korean way is to cut off the top of a pineapple and carve out the insides, fill it with half soju and Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and let it sit for 3 to 4 hours as the pineapple flavor infuses into the drink. This makes for a punch that is easy to make ahead of time and gives the soju a hint of pineapple flavor.

The second way to make pineapple soju is to mix one bottle of soju (375 mLs) with one 12 oz can of lemon-lime soda (360 mLs) and add 3 to 5 oz of pineapple juice to taste. This second method is much faster and results in a similar final taste to the more traditional Korean style. The drink should still clearly taste of soju with a hint of fruit flavor and only lightly colored.

How To Properly Make A Flavored Soju Drink.

A mixed soju drink should still taste like soju, and any added flavors should give the essence of that flavor to the soju. When adding fruit juices, only a tiny amount is needed, and the drink should be light in color. In the united states, soju is often compared to vodka and thus used in a similar manner. It adds flavorless, invisible alcohol to a drink that tastes like something other than vodka. So you often find watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt soju cocktail recipes that are half watermelon, pineapple, or yogurt. Those recipes are geared toward American palates and use too much juice. I asked a few of my Korean friends familiar with this and looked in some untranslated native Korean cookbooks, and they all pointed to similar kinds of recipes.

The most common soju cocktail structure I found was almost always half soju, half Chilsung Cider (A Korean lemon-lime soda almost identical to Sprite or 7up), and enough juice to add a light flavor. Soju bottles mostly come in a half-fifth (375 mLs), so most recipes are one bottle of soju, one 12 oz can of cider (360 mLs, which is close enough), and 3 to 5 oz fruit juice. In the case of watermelon and pineapple-flavored soju, no actual juice is even added. The most authentic Korean recipes have the soju and cider sit inside the hallowed-out fruit to infuse over a few hours. If you don’t have 3 to 4 hours to let the alcohol infuse inside a hollowed-out pineapple or watermelon, adding 3 to 5 oz of juice results in a similar flavor. Remember that you are trying to lightly flavor the soju, not make alcoholic juice.

Brief History Of Soju.

It is believed that Korea was introduced to Soju (소주) in the 13th century during the Mongol invasions of 1231 to 1259. The Mongols most likely learned distillation from the Persians during their simultaneous innovation of Levant (Syria region). Traditionally distilled from rice wine (Sake), soju can also be made from fermented tapioca and sweet potatoes today. Soju production mainly remained unchanged from the 13th century until the 1960s, when government regulations were changed to allow sweet potatoes and tapioca use. While neutral in flavor, soju is mixed with a tiny amount of sugar and citric acid to add a little taste and buffer the burn of the alcohol.

The quality of soju is loosely correlated to its ABV. The higher the ABV, the better the quality typically. The higher-quality soju range from 30% to 55% ABV. Most soju imported into the United States is below 25% because any spirit over that percentage is deemed a hard liquor and thus subject to a higher tax. Restaurants with a wine and beer license can also sell it without needing a hard liquor license. The ABV of soju also indicates how it is intended to be consumed.

Soju with an ABV above 30% is seen as a higher quality soju and thus more for sipping and savoring. Soju in the 18 to 24% range is usually used for mixing. Since most soju cocktails are half lemon-lime soda with a bit of fruit juice for flavor, that puts the final ABV in the range of 9 to 12% ABV, this range is seen as an enjoyable and easily drinkable percentage. The last range is the 10 to 15% ABV sojus’. These low-ABV sojus are often already flavored and intended to be consumed directly without mixing. When buying soju for making cocktails, it’s important to notice the ABV because if the ABV is too low, the drink will be flat, and it’s not appealing to drink a 24% soju straight.

Recipe Resources

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Green Tea Punch Recipe

Green Tea Punch
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Green Tea Punch

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

192

kcal
ABV

19%

Total time

3

minutes

Make this tasty green tea punch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Lemon Juice

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Simple Syrup

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 Green Tea

  • 1/3 oz 1/3 Peach Brandy

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Brandy

  • 1 oz 1 Batavia Arrack

Directions

  • Technique: Simple Combine
  • Combine all ingredients into a pitcher. Stir to combine.
  • Cool the punch in the refrigerator and add ice right before serving.

Notes

Featured Video

A Short History Of Punch

Punches are some of the oldest types of mixed drinks invented out of necessity. Early merchant sailors brought tons of beer with them as they voyaged to distant exotic lands. These voyages, often to India, were long, and beer has a relatively short shelf life. Toward the end of each trip, the booze had long gone unpalatably flat or was completely spoiled (This is how IPAs were invented, too. Adding a lot more hops helped preserve the beer and kept it from tasting flat by the end of the trip). Every culture has its local distilled booze, and in India, it was arrack. Arrack is a little rough, so it was mixed with juices, black tea, and sugar to make it taste better. It was brought back to England and spread to other English colonies.

The earliest records of the punch style of preparing drinks date to the early 1600s. By the mid-1800s, you don’t hear much about punches. That’s not to say these ever really fell out of fashion, but this style doesn’t make sense commercially. Around the mid-1800s, saloons started to get popular, and the recipes and information that started to get recorded were saved are the more profitable commercial style of mixed drinks. Some examples of taverns or restaurants made punches, but the technique is mainly used for residential free for all drinking and not pay per drink businesses. Restaurants don’t want to make a ton and then potentially end the night with leftover stock and then need to dump it. Also, you need a bartender there to track how much people drink; it can’t have free for all and expect to get paid correctly, so it makes more sense to have that individual make drinks as ordered. These are more suited for college parties or house parties, or we just wrote the declaration of independence so let’s get drunk parties. Even though I’ve read a few articles about this becoming vogue in the last decade or so, I’ve only ever seen one bar that had one house punch, but almost every house party or DIY wedding I’ve been to has 2 or 3 different punches on hand.

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Planters Punch #3 – Trader Vic’s 1972 Recipe

Planters Punch 3
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Planter’s Punch – 1972 Recipe

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: American
Servings

1

servings
Calories

161

kcal
ABV

13%

Total time

3

minutes

Make Trader Vic’s 1970s Planters Punch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Lime Juice

  • 1 oz 1 Lemon Juice

  • 1 tsp 1 Dark Simple Syrup

  • 1 tsp 1 Grenadine

  • 2 oz 2 Gold Rum

  • 2 oz 2 Soda Water

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients, except for the soda water, into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake the shaker for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.
  • Top the drink off with soda water.

Featured Video

The History Of The Planter’s Punch.

The truth is, no one alive knows the origins of this cocktail, and every best guess of its origin is just the best guess. The issue I have struggled with (and I’m sure many other drink writers have, too) is hoping to find that one true origin story. There are two common origins to the Planter’s Punch that get tossed around:

  1. Mid 1800s Jamaica.
  2. The Old Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, SC.

Had I been asked ten years ago, I would have pushed the hotel idea; then, I pivoted to the Jamaica one. Now I kinda say to hell with it; there seems to be a planter’s punch for every island in the Caribbean, with neither more “authentic” than the other. But the different significant versions are worth exploring. After much reading, I have concluded that every place that had a plantation probably had a version of the planter’s punch.

Trader Vic’s 1972 Planter’s Punch Recipe.

I include this one because it’s pretty on point. Like the others, it has a citrus, syrup (including grenadine), and rum. But something Victor Bergeron brought back that most other versions lack, but classic punches have water. Also, in his 1972 book, he has a special section for this cocktail where he includes six different recipes and says there is no such thing as a proper Planter’s punch. He mentions people coming into the bar trying to educate him on what makes an authentic Planter’s Punch. Each one is different, and Vic lays out that there is a Planter’s Punch for every island in the Caribbean.

  • 1/2 oz (15 mLs) Lime Juice
  • 1 Barspoon (5 mLs) Dark Simple Syrup
  • 1 Barspoon (5 mLs) Grenadine
  • 1 oz (30 mLs) Lemon Juice
  • 2 oz (60 mLs) Gold Rum
  • 2 oz (60 mLs) Soda Water

Why Are There So Many Planter’s Punch Recipes?

I include all these because they are all delicious, and one is not more authentic than the others. The oldest known recipe may be the Fun magazine recipe, but there is no certainty that it is even the original. There are more versions of this cocktail than I have included here, and they are all different and good. So don’t let anyone tell you your recipe is wrong because there is no right way to make the drink.

Recipe Resources

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Planters Punch #2 – 1933 Cuban Recipe

Planters Punch 2
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Planter’s Punch – 1933 Recipe

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Cuban
Servings

1

servings
Calories

154

kcal
ABV

30%

Total time

3

minutes

Make a Cuban style planter’s punch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Lemon Juice

  • 1 barspoon 1 Grenadine

  • 1 barspoon 1 Orange Liqueur

  • 2 oz 2 Gold Rum

Directions

  • Technique: Tiki Dirty Pour
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker with crushed ice.
  • Vigorously shake for 10 seconds.
  • Dirty pour the whole shaker into a glass. Crushed ice and all.

Featured Video

The History Of The Planter’s Punch.

The truth is, no one alive knows the origins of this cocktail, and every best guess of its origin is just the best guess. The issue I have struggled with (and I’m sure many other drink writers have, too) is hoping to find that one true origin story. There are two common origins to the Planter’s Punch that get tossed around:

  1. Mid 1800s Jamaica.
  2. The Old Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, SC.

Had I been asked ten years ago, I would have pushed the hotel idea; then, I pivoted to the Jamaica one. Now I kinda say to hell with it; there seems to be a planter’s punch for every island in the Caribbean, with neither more “authentic” than the other. But the different significant versions are worth exploring. After much reading, I have concluded that every place that had a plantation probably had a version of the planter’s punch.

Bar La Florida’s 1933 Planter’s Punch Recipe.

The Cuban versions are the first recipes I can find where grenadine is used, and it more closely resembles the Planter’s punch most people think of. Also, both Bar La Florida and Sloppy Joes have the same ingredients, but the recipe’s proportions vary a bit so I would consider this type the overall Cuban version of the planter’s punch. Bar La Florida’s seems a bit sweeter, and that’s the one I’m printing here.

  • 1/2 oz (15 mLs) Lemon Juice
  • 1 Barspoon (5 mLs) Orange Liqueur
  • 1 Barspoon (5 mLs) Grenadine
  • 2 oz (60 mLs) Gold Rum

Why Are There So Many Planter’s Punch Recipes?

I include all these because they are all delicious, and one is not more authentic than the others. The oldest known recipe may be the Fun magazine recipe, but there is no certainty that it is even the original. There are more versions of this cocktail than I have included here, and they are all different and good. So don’t let anyone tell you your recipe is wrong because there is no right way to make the drink.

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Planter’s Punch #1 – Original 1878 Recipe

Planters Punch No1
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Planter’s Punch – 1878 Recipe

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: Jamaican
Servings

1

servings
Calories

300

kcal
ABV

11%

Total time

3

minutes

Make the oldest known planter’s punch recipe

Ingredients

  • 2/3 oz 2/3 Lemon Juice

  • 1.5 oz 1.5 Simple Syrup

  • 2 oz 2 Gold Rum

  • 3 oz 3 Water

Directions

  • Technique: Simple Combine
  • Combine all ingredients into a pitcher. Stir to combine.
  • Cool the punch in the refrigerator and add ice right before serving.

Featured Video

The History Of The Planter’s Punch.

The truth is, no one alive knows the origins of this cocktail, and every best guess of its origin is just the best guess. The issue I have struggled with (and I’m sure many other drink writers have, too) is hoping to find that one true origin story. There are two common origins to the Planter’s Punch that get tossed around:

  1. Mid 1800s Jamaica.
  2. The Old Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, SC.

Had I been asked ten years ago, I would have pushed the hotel idea; then, I pivoted to the Jamaica one. Now I kinda say to hell with it; there seems to be a planter’s punch for every island in the Caribbean, with neither more “authentic” than the other. But the different significant versions are worth exploring. After much reading, I have concluded that every place that had a plantation probably had a version of the planter’s punch.

Fun Magazine’s Sept 1878 Planter’s Punch Recipe.

This is the oldest currently known reference to the Planter’s punch. It was printed on page 102 of the September 1878 issue of Fun Magazine in the UK. Here is a link to that digitalized issue if you want to check it out. That first recipe is a pretty straightforward punch (I’ve updated the measurements to modern units from the older antiquated ones like wineglass or pony etc.):

  • 2 oz (60 mLs) Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Sugar
  • 6 oz (180 mLs) Gold Rum
  • 1 cup (240 mLs) Cold Water

That’s the extent of the recipe in Fun. The Recipe had no context or story. Just a simple recipe told as a ditty. The song is.

A wine-glass with lemon juice fill,
Of sugar the same glass fill twice
Then rub them together until
The mixture looks smooth, soft, and nice.

Of rum then three wine glasses add,
And four of cold water please take. A
Drink then you’ll have that’s not bad—
At least, so they say in Jamaica

Why Are There So Many Planter’s Punch Recipes?

I include all these because they are all delicious, and one is not more authentic than the others. The oldest known recipe may be the Fun magazine recipe, but there is no certainty that it is even the original. There are more versions of this cocktail than I have included here, and they are all different and good. So don’t let anyone tell you your recipe is wrong because there is no right way to make the drink.

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Discover More Classics

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Picon Punch – Original Recipe & History

Original Picon Punch
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Picon Punch (Original Recipe)

0 from 0 votes Only logged in users can rate recipes
Course: DrinksCuisine: French
Servings

1

servings
Calories

227

kcal
ABV

15%

Total time

3

minutes

Learn how to make a classic 1800s style Picon Punch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 Orgeat

  • 2 oz 2 Amer Picon

  • 2 oz 2 Soda Water

Directions

  • Technique: Saxe Soda Shake
  • Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker except for the soda water.
  • Add one medium or two small ice cubes to the cocktail shaker and shake until the ice fully melts.
  • Without a strainer, pour the chilled and aerated drink into a glass.
  • Top with soda water.

Notes

Featured Video

The History Of The Picon Punch.

If you have not heard of this, it’s not surprising. It’s primarily made in the western side of the United States and is popular in parts of California and Nevada with large Basque immigrant populations. If you go to Basque areas in northern Spain, they will have no idea what this is. Most of the histories I have found on this credit its creation to the Noriega Hotel in Bakersfield, California. Although I think that was more just a story used by the hotel. The earliest printed reference of the Picon Punch is from the 1900 book “Cocktail Boothby’s American Bartender” by William Boothby of San Francisco, California. It’s the first recipe listed in “miscellaneous and unclassified drinks” and is called an Amer Picon. The drink is labeled as already being a popular beverage in France, and that makes a lot more sense to me than it was invented in Bakersfield, California, during the end of the 19th century. The part I found most difficult to imagine was that a small hotel in Bakersfield was using grenadine before 1900.

The most popular red fruit syrup in the US before 1900 was raspberry syrup. William Boothby was the first American bartender to print recipes using grenadine. Grenadine first started being used in France and England around 1890; in his 1891 edition of the book, the Amer Picon cocktail does not use grenadine but orgeat. The change from orgeat to grenadine makes sense, too, with grenadine’s explosive popularity in France during that decade. Check out my grenadine article for its history and use in cocktails.

The hotel was founded in 1893, so that would have given them plenty of time to use Amer Picon before it stopped being imported to the US in 1920, but I don’t buy that it was invented there. The use of grenadine and references to its recipe many years before its origin story says it was created point to it being traditionally a French cocktail.

What Does The Picon Punch Taste Like?

I will say that using grenadine instead of orgeat was the right choice. The drink is still good, but the later grenadine version is better. While the grenadine version is like an herbal pomegranate flavored soda, this one has a nutty flavor that doesn’t balance the herbal flavors, and the fruity grenadine does. If the nuttier flavor sounds better to you, try this one. Keep in mind this is just one person’s opinion.

Amer Picon is still not imported into the US, so this is made now with substitutes. Also, Amer Picon isn’t made the same today as during the turn of the century. The alcohol content is different, and so is the flavor. It used to be around 40% abv, and today it’s 18%, and the taste has been updated for modern palates, so basically, it’s an entirely different ingredient other than the name. You’ll never be able to recreate this drink in its original form completely, so find a bittersweet/orangey aperitif you like. Even if you get an actual bottle of Amer Picon from France, it won’t taste like old Amer Picon anyway.

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