caribbean punch

1 oz Old Monk Rum
1 oz Barbancourt 8 Year Rum
1/2 oz Falernum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/4 oz Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a Tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Top with 1 1/2 oz root beer, garnish with a mint sprig, and add a straw.

Two weekends ago, I went to Drink for one of their Tiki Sunday celebrations. For a libation, bartender Scott Marshall proposed the Caribbean Punch that he found in Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari. Berry attributed the drink to Don the Beachcomber around 1937 with little explanation other than the root beer element perhaps being a nod to Don's soda fountain days during his childhood. Scott made a few modifications from the original recipe including changing the 3 drops of almond extract to Amaretto liqueur and omitting the 6 drops of Pernod.

The Caribbean Punch began with a mint aroma that gave way to a sweet but crisp, carbonated sip. Moreover, the sip also contained the almond, root beer, citrus, and rum's caramel notes. The swallow then presented the rest of the root beer flavor along with the spice from the Angostura Bitters and falernum. The root beer definitely took control of the drink's flavor profile but allowed for the more traditional Tiki elements to shine through.