About Nathan's Rum Punch

One of my passions when I’m not on stage is rum - coming from a Caribbean family that may not seem too surprising. My rum collection at home is ever-growing, as I tend to pick up different rums on my travels when gigging overseas, and people who know me often gift me rum for birthdays and Christmas.

 

I’ve been making rum punch for well over a decade. My family used to make rum punch for family get-togethers like Christmas etc, where they’d be putting what seemed like every rum they had in the cupboard in the punch. You’d have a few glasses and sleep well for hours! Well, after seeing my family's concoctions on numerous occasions I thought I'd give it a go.

 

I mixed a few rums with various tropical flavours and eventually voila! I landed on my own version of rum punch. At first I only made it for me and my mates when we were hanging out. It went down really well and so I started making it more often. Eventually I wasn’t just making it for casual meetups with friends, but I was making it for me and my friends to take with us to Notting Hill carnival or other soca parties we were going to. Then I was making it for family occasions and birthdays. It got to the point where every time there was a big gathering with family and friends, I was expected to make the rum punch, and if I didn’t there’d be serious questions… “Nath, where’s the rum punch man?!”

 

During the pandemic lockdowns I probably spent most of my time making rum punch – it definitely helped pass the time. Each week I’d make my rum punch and then on a Friday afternoon my wife and I would have ‘end of week drinks’ (even though we were both stuck inside!)

 

My brother-in-law had been telling me for years that I should start selling it as it was good enough that people would buy it. I remember him urging me to do so one time when I brought some rum punch to his house for a BBQ. He was like “Dude, get on it! Sell this stuff!” I didn’t really pay him any attention until my wedding. For my wedding, I thought I’d make some rum punch for our reception - mainly because I was too cheap to pay for the caterer's drinks package! So, I made about 45 litres of the punch. I remember lugging it all down to my garage thinking this should last our 200-odd guests for the evening… They finished it all within the first hour of the reception! I barely got to have my own rum punch at my own wedding. These freeloading motherf… My wife and I had to share a glass while everyone else gulped down seconds, thirds and fourths. That’s when my brother-in-law was like “I told you!” So, I thought, ok. Let’s start sharing my rum punch with the general public and see what can be done.

 

I had my original rum punch flavour that I knew people loved - the OG, as my family call it. Initially that was going to be the only flavour I'd do as it was so popular at the wedding. But then I started experimenting with flavours and eventually landed on Pineapple rum punch - lots of rum infused with lots of pineapple! I tentatively trialled it on my family and it was a HIT! My mum and wife's cousin in particular drinking glass after glass like it was water.

 

Then not long after the pineapple rum punch, in a casual chat with my wife she mentioned that she’d be intrigued to try a mango rum punch as she fell in love with a mango drink we had on our honeymoon in the Caribbean. This set off a lightbulb moment in my head and next thing you know I’m in the kitchen working on a mango rum punch. So, with that one, the credit goes to my wife. Thanks babes!

As does the latest flavour, which is Sorrel Ginger. If you don’t know sorrel – it’s hibiscus (so not only tasty, but also good for you!). The leaves are boiled and it produces a dark red liquid, to which you add sweetener/sugar/spices to make the drink. Many Caribbean households have it over the Christmas and New Year period. Both of my grandmothers would make it all the time so, I would get two hits of the good stuff on Christmas day!

 

The end result from all of this? 4 delicious flavours - all homemade in my kitchen - of my rum punch that I hope you all enjoy! Cheers! Nath.