Adapted from At Blanchard’s Table, by Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard (2003). We were introduced to Rum Punch at our first dinner on Anguilla at E’s Oven in 2009. It was delicious.
Over the years that we went to Anguilla, I researched Rum Punch in depth. The drink is a specialty of the island and every eating establishment offers its own version. Hands down, Blanchard’s Beach Shack was my favorite dining spot on Anguilla, and we enjoyed many rum punches there.
The Blanchards’ recipe for Rum Punch has the virtue of tasting almost as good in the wintry depths of North America as it does on Anguilla. Blanchard’s Beach Shack is next door to the Blanchards’ eponymous fancy white-tablecloth restaurant, described in their great book A Trip to the Beach (2001).
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup guava nectar
1 cup Mount Gay rum
dash freshly squeezed lime juice
dash Angostura bitters
grenadine to desired taste and color
orange slices and pineapple wedges, for garnish
In a pitcher, combine the juice, nectar, rum, lime juice, bitters, and grenadine. Pour over tall glasses of ice and serve. Garnish with an orange slice and a wedge of pineapple.