Ti' Punch

Petit punch

Rhum agricole blanc, lime and cane syrup, served short: the everyday drink of the French Caribbean, strong, citrusy and lightly sweet.

42.9% ABV
Built in the glass
2 min
Rocks glass
strong
citrusy
sweet

about 1.7 standard drinks (US, 14 g of alcohol). Estimated after dilution with ice.

Ingredients

¼ ozCane sugar syrupAbout 2 teaspoons. Adjust to taste; the drink is meant to be only lightly sweet.
1 sliceLimeOne small, thick slice cut from the side of the lime, with the peel and a little flesh. Squeeze it gently, then drop it in.
2 ozWhite rhum agricoleMade from fresh sugarcane juice, not molasses. Its grassy, vegetal flavor defines the drink.

Ice: No ice

Method

Pour 10 ml of cane syrup into a small rocks glass.
Cut a small, thick slice from the side of a lime, about 25 mm across, keeping the peel and a little flesh. Squeeze it gently over the syrup, then drop it into the glass.
Pour in 60 ml of white rhum agricole.
Stir gently for a few seconds to dissolve the syrup, and serve right away without ice.

Tips

Squeeze the lime slice gently, just enough to release some juice and a little oil from the peel; pressing too hard brings out bitterness from the peel and pith.
It is a strong drink: 60 ml of rhum at 50% ABV. Sip it slowly and taste before adding more syrup or lime.
For a rounder version, use aged rhum agricole instead of white (a ti' punch vieux). Some people add one ice cube, which dilutes the drink slightly.

Swaps

Missing something? These swaps change the taste a little but keep the drink balanced.

Cane sugar syrup → Simple syrup or Demerara syrup

History

Ti' punch, short for "petit punch", is the emblematic drink of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It is made with rhum agricole, a rum distilled from fermented fresh sugarcane juice. It is traditionally served with the bottle, the limes and the syrup on the table, so everyone adjusts it to taste. Its exact origin is not documented; white rhum agricole from Martinique has held an AOC since 1996.