Medford Rum Punch | A Classic Adapted For Today |

Now that I have a bottle of Medford rum in hand I can make Medford Rum Punch. If you can’t get Medford rum, use a Jamaican like Smith and Cross. There are several outstanding historical books on the old kill-devil rum and the basic idea of this cocktail comes from one of them, “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the new World in 10 Cocktails” by Wayne Curtis. Sadly, after nearly 300 years Medford Rum ceased production. However, to our great fortune Grand Ten Distilling in Boston is once again meticulously producing this spirit. Here is a beautiful description from their website which guided my utterly delicious modern design of this antique cocktail:

A NEW ENGLAND TRADITION SINCE 1715

“Medford Rum has a beautiful dark red-brown color and a rich, brown sugar and butterscotch nose. The first tastes are of vanilla, buttercream, and brown spice melting into a smooth, dark caramel finish and ending in a pleasant warmth. Medford Rum is at the forefront of the new wave of New England-style rums, a category that is picking up steam and garnering national attention..”

Yum, just yum.

What’s a 1234 Cocktail?

There is a wonderful old Caribbean rhyme for making great punches. Surprisingly, it is the basis of so many rum and tropical based cocktails. The little rhyme is,

One of Sour,

Two of Sweet,

Three of Strong,

Four of Weak.

To modernize the Medford Rum Punch I went backwards. I used this old approach to make the cocktail better. The original Medford Rum Punch is 2 ounces of Medford Rum, and 1 tsp Lemon Juice. Add some seasonal berries for garnish. You don’t need to be a cocktail expert to know that is a strong drink. But this riff is much smoother and more balanced.

Sing Along and Let’s Make a Modern Medford Rum Punch!

For “one of sour” half an ounce of lime juice. “Two of sweet” I put 1/2 ounce strawberry syrup, and 1/2 ounce of Grenadine. Note accordingly the fruit component is in the sweet. You can find simple recipes for them here. Cocktail Syrups | Cork Fork and Table |. Obviously, “Three of Strong” is an ounce and a half of Medford rum. Finally, “Four of weak” ounce and half of orange juice, plus the dilution from the ice shake taking us to four. All that’s left is actually make it.