barbadoes punch

1 tbsp Raspberry Syrup (1/2 oz)
2 tbsp Sugar (1 oz)
1 wineglass Water (2 oz)
1 1/2 wineglass Brandy (3 oz Pedro Domecq Fundador Solera Reserva)
Juice 1/2 Lemon (1 oz)
2 slice Orange
1 piece Pineapple
2 tbsp Guava Jelly (1 oz)

Dissolve sugar in water. Add rest of ingredients and ice, shake, and strain into large punch cups, rocks glasses, or similar. Makes 2 servings.

Ever since having Dave Delaney's guava jelly-containing Groovy Child at the Citizen in Worcester, I was curious about the recipe that influenced him -- Jerry Thomas' Barbadoes Punch from the 1862 Bartender's Guide. The Barbadoes Punch is Jerry Thomas' Brandy Punch gussied up with some guava jelly which adds the citrussy flavor of the guava and a fuller mouthfeel from the jelly. When I was browsing the ethnic food aisle of our local Market Basket a few weeks ago, I spotted two varieties of guava jelly and knew that it was time to make this recipe. But which one to buy? One was a jar of Goya brand and the other was a package from Brazil. I was slightly deterred by the Goya's high fructose corn syrup sweetener, but in the end, it was probably the proper consistency for the jelly I wanted. The Brazilian one I ended up buying, had a simple list of ingredients and used guava paste instead of juice; however, it turned out to be pretty solid due to its high pectin content (the fruit's skin naturally contains a lot of pectin). Since muddling did not incorporate the jelly into the mix, I ended up microwaving the water, sugar, and guava jelly to get it to incorporate; this level of dilution worked well to keep the pectin in solution.
The Barbadoes Punch was rather fruity with raspberry, citrus, and pineapple notes and finished with a pleasing brandy flavor. While the guava jelly added some extra citrus-like notes, it was not as noticeable as in the Groovy Child. The jelly did donate a smooth quality akin to gum arabic due to the pectins; this effect, though, was more magnificent here than in the Groovy Child. Andrea's quote after trying the Barbadoes Punch summed it up best, "[It tastes] like alcoholic Dole fruit salad!"