Punch it Up

The past two days have been such a drag, especially after having just enjoyed the gorgeous weekend NYC served up for the start of spring. In an effort to regain that seasonal giddiness, I decided to delve into tropical drinks. My concoction is a riff on the classic Rum Punch that I recently sampled in St. Lucia. My main issue with that specific island original was just how sweet it was, so my version has a bit more acidity. Grenadine is typically used to give the drink it's blush color. The kind you buy around these parts is high fructose corn syrup so adds too much sweetness...and high fructose corn syrup. I used blood orange juice to add color, but it might not be available year round. (You could also use cranberry or cherry juice for color. Or not. Mine's pretty orange and I don't mind it.) Feel free to tweak it to your liking. And cheer up. Those 70˚ plus days will be back soon enough!



Island Punch

1/2 cup pineapple coconut juice (such as R.W. Knudsen brand)
1/2 cup tangerine juice
1/4 cup blood orange juice
1/2 cup light or dark run (or half and half)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Blood orange slices
Pineapple slices

1. In a pitcher combine the juices, rum, and lime juice. Stir well.

2. Pour the punch into glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each drink with an orange and pineapple slice. Makes 2 drinks.