homere punch

2 oz Rhum Agricole
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Orange Liqueur
1/4 oz Lime Juice

Build in a rocks glass with a large ice cube (or equivalent amount of smaller ice cubes). Garnish with a lime wheel or two floated on the ice cube (competition submission was garnished solely with lime oil).

A few weeks ago, my 'Ti Punch recipe submission made the cut for the Rhum Clément 'Ti Punch Cup. I found out after my closing shift on Wednesday night that I got accepted a little over 48 hours before the competition. I also learned that my bar manager made the cut too, and we were both scheduled for that Saturday to work. To complicate things, the other bartender had requested the day off, so unfortunately, both of us passed on competing. Regardless, here is my submission. I dubbed the riff the Homère Punch after Homère Clément, the man who had the idea to press sugarcane on Martinique like a fruit and ferment it like an eau de vie to produce Rhum Agricole. I listed my drink inspiration as, "The Haitian drink the Pétion and how flavorful rums work rather well with lime and Benedictine, and that liqueur ties back to the French colonization of the Martinique. In addition, the orange liqueur aspect for it pairs well with Benedictine in drinks like They Shall Inherit the Earth and the Honeymoon Cocktails."
The Homère Punch presented a lime aroma over the funky, grassy rum bouquet. On the sip, crisp lime notes were balanced by sweet orange ones, and the swallow offered grassy rum and herbal flavors along with a tart lime finish.