Ti Punch
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 oz Rhum Clément Blanc
- 1⁄4 oz Clément Sirop de Canne
- 1 slice Lime
Method
Glassware:
Serve in an Old-fashioned glass
Prepare:
- Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
- Prepare garnish of lime peel disc. Traditionally, limes used to make this cocktail are not cut into slices or wedges. Instead, cut a round disc from the side of the fruit, large enough that some of the fruit's flesh backs the peel of the disc.
Method:
- POUR the rum and sugar into glass.
- Then SQUEEZE the lime disc between finger and thumb before dropping into the cocktail. (This expresses the oil from the skin and little of the juice into the Ti'Punch.)
- STIR and consider adding ice - either one or two large cubes depending on glass size, or preferably, a small chunk of block ice.
Garnish:
- There's no additional garnish to the lime disc using in the making of this cocktail but some like to serve with a small spoon to enable the drinker to tease out more juice from the lime disc &/or stir ice.
History:
Named "Ti", Creole for the French word 'petit', this is literally a small rum punch, and unlike most rum punches, it is not lengthened with water or juice – and often without ice, despite the warm climate from where it originates.
It is the national cocktail of the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, where "Ti" is pronounced "Tee". It is also popular in Réunion, Maurice, Haiti, French Guiana and other French-speaking Caribbean islands. On these islands, it's often drunk straight without adding ice and chased by a large glass of chilled water (called a 'crase' in Martinique).
The earliest known written mention appears as a "yon Ti Punch" in an 1890 book, Two Years in the West Indies by Lafcadio Hearn, who was a travel writer and recounted his time in Martinique.
Review:
As the name suggests, Martinique's national cocktail is deliciously punchy – traditionally made with 50% alc./vol. rhum agricole. And, even if you choose to add ice, then dilution is negligible. However, the all-important sugar cane juice (not sugar syrup made from processed sugar) adds flavour and mellows the rum, so yes, it's punchy but it's also very pleasing to drink.
