Another quick side note. I found this recipe not by my usual method of going to a cocktail website and browsing based on liquor or ingredients I might have half of in the house, but by simply googling, "refreshing summertime cocktails" or something along those lines. Which landed me here. So, thanks Forbes! Thought you were mostly about money and stuff but hey! you like cocktails like the rest of us! Small world.
Ok, Planters Punch (real recipe):
2 oz dark rum
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 packet Equal
Soda water
Orange slice for garnish
My recipe, with explanations:
2 oz light rum (I just prefer it)
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 oz. fresh squeezed TANGERINE juice. HAHA GOTCHA THERE! No, but really the oranges in the grocery store were all navel and though those are nice for peeling and eating like a snack, they are terrible for juicing and I just did not want to spend the afternoon trying to squeeze four frustrating drops from EIGHTEEN DAMN ORANGES. And the tangerines, they looked juicy. More on that in a second.
No sugar, tangerine juice was plenty sweet. Plus, EQUAL? Ew.
Lime flavored soda water because, literally, it was all I could find. I bumped into a guy we know while at the store and frankly did not want to keep bumping into him, all, STILL CAN'T FIND THE SODA WATER. HAHA, YOU STILL FINDING THOSE EGGS AND STUFF OKAY? Yeah, I am not good at small talk.
For either recipe: put rum, lemon juice, fresh squeezed orange/tangerine, sugar, or not, into shaker with plenty of ice. Shake, strain over ice filled glasses, top off with soda water and orange slice for garnish.
If this drink doesn't make you want to pull out the old Slip n Slide, I don't know what will. It's all punchy and summery and sparkly and happy. IT IS SO GOOD. I had three before we, sadly, had to leave for a baseball game. Well, not so sadly, it was one dollar beer night and was particularly fun after PLANTERS PUNCH but I could have stayed in all night watching the trees in the breeze from our back porch. Much like a mental patient.
Okay, here is where I tell you some details on the actual drink making. I already said navel oranges disappointed me, blah blah, am at supermarket looking like a small child deciding between chocolate and the naughty chair or no chocolate and well, no chocolate. Which one, which one, which one. Do I buy tangerines and then get home and realize, you idiot! tangerines aren't juice-able! Or am I completely wrong, they provide great juice and are similar enough to oranges? YEAH. This is my life.
And in a bold move I chose the tangerines and GUESS WHAT? Six of them produced TWO CUPS OF JUICE. No? You don't believe it? I thought you might not:
Whew, no more punch for me this early in the morning.
Another lovely visual, in a prettier container.