Planters Punch

[ThinkingBartender]

Edwardsville Intelligencer, 12th December 1922.

"The old Planters Hotel, for many decades an institution in St Louis".

Is there any evidence of a rum drink being popular in St. Louis?

NEW YORK TIMES, 8 August 1908

"PLANTER'S PUNCH"

* This recipe I give to thee,

* Dear brother in the heat.

* Take two of sour (lime let it be)

* To one and a half of sweet,

* Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,

* And add four parts of weak.

* Then mix and drink. I do no wrong--

* I know whereof I speak.

Cheers!

George

[slkinsey]

Wayne Curtis, in And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails, seems to doubt that it came from the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis. He notes that, while the claim isn't entirely implausible due to the connection to Jerry Thomas, the fact that the hotel also takes credit for the Tom Collins weakens their claim. And, while JT's book features plenty of punch recipes, none is named "Planter's Punch"). He notes that a Planter's Hotel in South Carolina also claims credit for the drink, and further notes that there hardly seems to be (nor has there ever seemed to be) a standard classic recipe for the drink. Curtis seems to lean in the direction of supposing that the name and concept, if not a definitive recipe, probably came from Jamaica, but that really no one establishment or person can claim sole credit.

[ThinkingBartender]

Do you know the source for the Planters Hotel claims?

The Tom Collins is really nothing more than a punch, and the planter's is too (surprise, surprise). Its not entirely impossible, though unlikely, that they were created at thesame place.

Cheers!

George

Edited December 25, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[emilyr]

I don't have any idea about whether or not it's from St. Louis, but it wouldn't necessarily be weird to have a rum drink from St. Louis. Lots of products came up the Mississippi from the Caribbean.

[FrogPrincesse]

Planter's Punch a la Stephen Remsberg with Plantation OFTD dark rum, lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters.

I adjusted the recipe a bit - 2.5 ounces of rum instead of 3 ounces to account for the rum's higher alcohol content (the OFTD is overproof at 69%), 1 oz lime juice, 0.75 simple syrup, and 4 dashes Angostura bitters. It was very flavorful and delicious, but also incredibly punchy!

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Thanks for the inspiration!  I'm trying planter's punch tonight with a plate of pecans.  I cut back the syrup to 3/4 oz and substituted Hamilton's for the Plantation, since Hamilton's is what I have.  I used about 3/4 oz lime, per the linked recipe, and wish I had squeezed more.  I started with three dashes Angostura and went to four.

 

Quite OK, if not my favorite punch, but gives me a chance to repurpose my zombie glass and use a purple straw.

 

And if I may ask, how is that Plantation O.F.T.D.?

 

[FrogPrincesse]

13 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

And if I may ask, how is that Plantation O.F.T.D.?

 

It's killer, you should absolutely get it. It is incredibly flavorful and complex. I had tried it first last year at a rum tasting event at Tiki Oasis presented by Martin Cate, and had been patiently waiting since then for bottles to show up in San Diego. They never did, at least not in the places I frequent routinely, and I ended up ordering from Hi-Time.