Ti Punch

How to make:

Traditionally the limes used to make this drink are not cut into slices or wedges. Instead a round disc is cut from the side of the fruit. These are cut large enough so that some of the fruits pulp backs the peel on the disc.

POUR the rum and sugar into glass. Then SQUEEZE the lime disc between finger and thumb before dropping into the drink. This expresses the oil from the skin and little of the juice into the Ti’Punch. Lastly STIR and consider adding ice - either two cubes or preferably a chunk of block ice of roughly equal size.

Garnish:

The lime disc in the drink is garnish enough but consider expressing a lime zest twist over the drink and then discarding.

Comment:

This drink only works when made with authentic rhum agricole and sugar cane juice syrup (pressed sugar cane juice cane boiled down to make thick and syrupy rather than sugar syrup made from refined sugar).

Rhum agricole is a style of rum distilled from fermented cane juice, in contrast to most other styles of rum which are made from fermented molasses. On its native islands, it’s usual to use rhum blanc (unaged white agricole rum) during the day and rhum vieux (aged agricole rum) during the evening.

As the name suggests – this drink is punchy – the rhum agricole tends to be 50% alc./vol. and even if you choose to add ice then dilution is negligible. However, the all important sugar cane juice adds flavour and smooths the rum, so yes, it's punchy but it’s also very pleasing to drink.

About:

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).