The Ti’Punch is a curious little cocktail. On paper, it’s a simple mix of rum, lime juice, and sugar that sounds not unlike a Daiquiri. But two drinks with the same ingredients couldn’t be more different.
My first exposure to the Ti’Punch (pronounced “tee punch,” by the way, and short for petit punch, or “little punch”) was in Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails. The book is interspersed with little essays by regular patrons of the famous East Village bar, one of whom is a Catholic priest named Father Bill Dailey. His drink of choice is the Ti’Punch, which he says each bartender made differently. I tried the recipe in the book, and it was… fine? Sort of a rum-heavy, very tart Daiquiri on the rocks. I didn’t get the appeal.
Later, in my quest to properly understand this drink, I came across an article in Punch Magazine about how to make the “ultimate Ti’Punch,” in which a panel of bartenders tried many different recipes and ranked them. I tried the method that they ranked the highest, and still wasn’t impressed. But the whole thing was a little confusing. Everyone seemed to have different, strongly-held opinions about such a simple drink, and yet the article seemed to imply that there was some “ultimate,” correct way to make it. Having given the Ti’Punch the old college try, I was tempted to add it to the list of classics I just didn’t really like. But so many people loved it. I couldn’t shake the idea that there was something about it that I just wasn’t getting.
So when Spiribam invited me to attend a virtual seminar on the Ti’Punch and create a cocktail for Ti’Punch Day, I jumped at the chance to learn more about this elusive drink.
Leading the seminar were Spiribam’s National Brand Manager, Kiowa Bryan, and their Managing Director, Ben Jones. Ben is also the great-nephew of Homère Clément, founder of Rhum Clement and a huge driving force in creating rhum agricole as it is now known and produced on Martinique. They gave me an entirely new perspective on the Ti’Punch, one that I’m excited to share with you. Here is what I learned.
The Ti’Punch is the national drink of Martinique. As I mentioned above, it’s a very simple mixture of lime, sugar, and rhum agricole, usually served without dilution at room temperature. Contrary to my earlier impression, there is no “ultimate” way to make a Ti’Punch, especially in Martinique. Just like everyone takes their coffee differently, it’s understood that everyone has their own preference for how they like their Ti’Punch – heavy on lime, light on syrup, sugar instead of syrup, etc. There is even a saying in Martinique: chacun prépare sa propre mort, “each prepares his own death.” When you are served a Ti’Punch in Martinique, you are generally not handed a cocktail. Instead, a tray will be passed around with all the tools and ingredients, allowing you to mix your own.
Ben learned to make the Ti’Punch from his mother, who had him preparing hers before he was old enough to drink one. His recipe has no exact amounts, but with his instruction I managed to make the best Ti’Punch I’ve ever had. It suddenly clicked! This is a wonderful drink. It’s a drink of history and place and personality. There is a process to its preparation, and it just doesn’t taste right if you don’t know all that.
To make a Ti’ Punch the way Ben’s mother preferred, you start by cutting your lime. You want to slice straight into the side of the lime, cutting off a circle a little larger than a quarter. One side should be all dark-green peel, and the other side should have just a little bit of pulp. Squeeze it into a small glass by folding it in half, creating a little lime “taco.” Then drop it in.
Next, add your sweetener. We used Rhum J.M. Sirop de Canne, a cane syrup made in Martinique that is commonly available in the US if you’d like to pick up a bottle. Simple syrup will work just fine too. Ben recommended just enough syrup to “fill your taco” – a culturally jumbled description, perhaps, but it works!
Finally, the rum. Or rhum, to be more exact. While there are few true rules for the Ti’ Punch, the inclusion of rhum agricole is a must. Rhum agricole is made from fresh pressed sugarcane juice rather than molasses, which gives it a fresh, grassy flavor. This style is common on many French Caribbean islands, but the rhums of Martinique are probably the best-known. Since Martinique is part of France, its rhum agricole has its own AOC designation, like Cognac or Champagne. There are a number of distilleries on the island producing rhum agricole, but the two brands you are probably most familiar with are Rhum Clement and Rhum J.M. A typical Ti’Punch is made with an unaged rhum agricole blanc (and rhum agricole blanc is unaged, in contrast to many other white rums that are lightly aged and then filtered).
Ben said to add just enough rum to reach the edges of the lime peel and cause it to float a little. In my glass, this was about an ounce. This isn’t a large-volume cocktail – thus the name!
Finally, the ingredients are mixed with a swizzle stick. This is a stick harvested from the Quararibea turbinata tree. Its branching patterns form nodes where several branches emerge. These are trimmed short to form a distinctive pronged tip that is inserted into the drink. The stick is then spun back and forth by rubbing it between the palms (“like a boy scout starting a fire,” I once heard). The Ti’Punch should be swizzled until the ingredients are mixed and it becomes frothy.
And that’s it! Traditionally, there is no ice or dilution. The drink is served at room temperature. It’s a burst of flavor when you sip, with just enough lime and sweetness to make the beauty of the rhum agricole shine through. Being unable to travel these days, I find that the best cocktails are the ones that evoke another time or place, and this one does that in spades. Drinking it is a transportive experience, delivering you to the warm shores of Martinique. I finally “get” the Ti’Punch.
In honor of Ti’Punch Day this year (March 16, 2021), I’m partnering with Rhum Clément to create my own take on this Martinique classic using the newest installment in their rhum collection, Rhum Clément Blanc. If you’re looking to try rhum agricole, this is a perfect choice. It has a sweet and vegetal nose, with the signature grassy flavor of a rhum agricole. It’s wonderful in a Ti’Punch. Below you’ll find the classic recipe, as well my own original variation, the Honey Grapefruit Ti’Punch. You can watch me make both of them on IGTV. And check out my Instagram post to enter another great giveaway – you can win a $100 e-gift card to the Spiribam store!
History: The Ti’Punch has likely been consumed in Martinique for a very long time. But the first printed recipe appears in 1890, in Two Years in the French West Indies by Lafcadio Hearn. He writes, “It is not until just before the mid-day meal that one can venture to take a serious stimulant,—yon ti ponch,—rum and water, sweetened with plenty of sugar or sugar syrup.”
Ti’Punch
1 quarter-sized piece of lime
1 dash cane syrup
1 oz. rhum agricole blanc
Squeeze the lime into a small glass and then drop it in. Add the cane syrup and the rhum. Swizzle with a swizzle stick to mix. See above for more detailed instructions!
Honey Grapefruit Ti’Punch
1 large slice from the edge of a grapefruit (roughly tennis-ball diameter)
Generous 1/4 oz. honey syrup*
1.5 oz. rhum agricole blanc
Small pinch of salt
Squeeze the grapefruit into a small glass and set it aside. Add honey syrup, rhum, and salt. Swizzle with a swizzle stick to mix. Place grapefruit into the glass and garnish with edible flowers.
*For honey syrup, mix equal parts honey and water and stir until the honey has dissolved.
This post was sponsored by Rhum Clément. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!