Skip to main content

Relax, It’s Almost National Punch Day

relax its national rum day
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s the middle of September, so we know that a lot of you are thinking, “Oh, God! Where did the summer go? Why didn’t I make the best of the warm weather? How did the time pass so quickly? What am I doing with my life?” Well, to that we say—stop it!

Look, there’s plenty of warm weather to be had in September. It’s prime tailgating season, the weather is much more pleasant than the dog days of summer, and it really does make for perfect barbecue weather. And do you know what goes well with a September barbecue? A refreshing alcoholic punch!

RELATED: Sip on Diplomatico Reserva This Summer

September 20 is National Punch Day. We’re sure you didn’t know that, so don’t pretend. To honor the occasion, the good people at Cruzan Rum have prepared a selection of specialty recipes to try out. And Cruzan Rum knows of what they speak. They are distillers of over twenty different varieties of rum including their “Distiller’s Collection,” which is highly regarded within the rum community. We recommend trying the Single Barrel Rum.

These recipes are easy to make at home. So instead of freaking out; instead of worrying about what you are doing with your life, have some friends over, barbecue and experiment with some rum punch recipes. That sounds a lot more fun, right?

Cruzan® 9 Punch

Ingredients: 

1.25 parts Cruzan® 9 Spiced Rum

4 parts Orange Juice

1 part Cranberry Juice

Method: Build over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Cruzan® Weekender’s Punch

Ingredients:

8 parts Cruzan® Aged Light Rum

4 parts Cruzan® Passion Fruit Rum

12 parts Riesling

3 parts Lemonade

4/5 part Lemon Syrup

Method: Combine all but Riesling in a punch bowl and refrigerate. Add Riesling at service. (Serves 8)

Cruzan® Blueberry Spritz Punch

Ingredients:

12 parts Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Rum

8 parts Sauvignon Blanc

4 parts Soda Water

3 parts Fresh Lemon Juice

2 parts Simple Syrup

Method: Combine all ingredients except soda water in a pitcher. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. At service, add ice to pitcher and top with soda. Garnish with lemon peels. (serves 6)

Cruzan® Strawberry Rosemary Punch

Ingredients: 

1 bottle Cruzan® Strawberry Rum

6 parts Fresh Lime Juice

24 parts Ginger Ale

6 Rosemary Sprigs

Rosemary Ice Blocks (*See Additional Recipe Below)

Method: To prep, pour rum into a punchbowl and add 4 sprigs of rosemary. Give it a quick stir, making sure to fully immerse the rosemary. Let the mixture sit for one hour at room temperature. After one hour, remove the sprigs of rosemary from the bowl and discard them. Next, add the lime juice to the rosemary-infused rum and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. To serve, add rosemary ice block and ginger ale to your rum punch mixture. Serve over ice in a punch glass. Garnish with a small piece of rosemary sprig. (serves 8)

*Rosemary Ice Blocks Method: Fill a couple of round plastic containers with water and a couple rosemary sprigs and put it in the freezer. When serving your punch, float the ice blocks in the punch bowl.

Editors' Recommendations

Matt Domino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Domino is a writer living in Brooklyn. His fiction has appeared in Slice and The Montreal Review, while his non-fiction…
Everything you ever wanted to know about Pinot Grigio, the perfect sipping wine
Be careful with this one, it's almost too easy to drink.
White wine

If ever there was a perfect sipping wine, Pinot Grigio would have to be it. Bright and crisp, fresh and lively, refreshing and clean, Pinot Grigio is arguably one of the most dangerously easy wines to drink. Also known also as Pinot Gris, depending on where you are in the world, this wine is citrusy and pleasantly acidic with a short finish that won't overpower a dish.

Pinot Grigio's diversity is wonderfully wide. It can become something truly artistic and beautiful or, simply, a blissfully cheerful and pleasant picnic wine. So, if you're looking for a great bottle to pack along on a day trip with a blanket and a wicker basket full of charcuterie, Pinot Grigio is your best bet.
Are Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris the same wine?

Read more
The 8 best hot dog topping alternatives you need to try
Forget the mustard and sauerkraut, try these creative toppings instead
Three hot dogs with different topppings

Summer will be here before we know it, so that means grilling season has almost arrived. Whether you have backyard barbecues, like to picnic at the barbecue pit in the park, or just want to harken back to your youth with hot dogs, why not get creative with some alternative hot dog toppings?
Our best alternative toppings for your dogs
You can prepare your hot dogs by steaming, boiling, or grilling, but that doesn’t mean the toppings have to be mustard only -- and no, we don’t put ketchup on hot dogs. We’re going to take a look at some of the most creative hot dog toppings out there that are sure to up your hot dog game.
Classic Chicago dogs

These hot dog toppings always will be a staple. The Vienna Beef hot dog reached Chicago during the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and the Chicago Dog was invented in 1929 at a stand named Fluky’s. The hot dog was originally called the Depression Sandwich. The Chicago-style dog features a poppy seed bun with an all-beef frank topped with mustard, white onions, dark green sweet pickle relish, sliced tomato, sport peppers, a dill pickle spear, and celery salt. If you don’t have the celery salt, that is passable, but you definitely can’t have a Chicago dog without the remaining ingredients.
New York dogs

Read more
How to dry fresh basil: 5 ways to preserve this essential herb
Whether you grow it at home or buy it fresh from the store, drying basil isn't a difficult task
Fresh and dried basil on a wooden surface

One of the best herb plants to grow indoors is basil. However, basil is a delicate plant and can spoil very quickly once harvested. If you grow an herb or vegetable garden or buy the basil plant at your local grocery store, you will have an overabundance of fresh basil that you need to use or store properly. That's where we come in! We'll tell you how to dry basil that is fresh from the garden or store and the best way to store it.
The best ways to dry basil

Drying herbs is just one of the ways to store your leftover basil. There are several ways to dry your basil so you can have it at your disposal any time. If you like fresh basil, then you will love dried basil. It’s much more powerful than the fresh; all that flavor is just crammed into the crunchy leaves.
How to air-dry basil
Air drying is the easiest way to preserve your basil, but it's a longer process — about two weeks in the summer. This is what you should do:

Read more