Ti' Punch
The French Caribbean's little punch.
White rhum agricole, a dash of cane syrup and a disc of lime squeezed straight into the glass. The fresh cane character of the rhum takes centre stage, softened by the sugar and lifted by the lime oils.
- Aperitif
- Built
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Lime
1
-
Cane syrup
7.5 ml
-
Rhum agricole
45 ml
Proportions
How to make
- Squeeze the lime disc between your fingers over the glass and drop it in.
- Pour the cane syrup.
- Pour the rhum agricole.
- Stir with a swizzle stick.
- Serve neat; add one large ice cube if you prefer.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Ti' Punch is the national cocktail of Martinique and Guadeloupe, also popular in other French-speaking lands of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. The name is Creole: 'ti' is short for the French petit, a small punch, not lengthened with water or juice like traditional punches. There is no known inventor. The earliest known written mention is in Lafcadio Hearn's travel book Two Years in the French West Indies, published in 1890 and devoted to Martinique. By tradition, rhum, sugar and limes are set on the table and everyone makes their own, often without ice and with a glass of cold water alongside.
Sources (3)
- Difford's Guide — Ti Punch (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- VinePair — The Story Behind The Ti' Punch (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- IBA — All cocktails, page 5 (Ti' Punch not listed) (opens in a new tab) recipe
Taste profile
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Herbal
- 2 out of 5
- Citrus
- 2 out of 5
