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Have a frosty fourth: Patriotic Punch
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Instead of just serving beer at your fourth of July picnic this year, consider the benefits of making rum punch. It is a delicious and refreshing alternative to beer, it creates significantly less trash and, in the case of this particular punch, it adds to the festivities of the day. This drink is also cheap and can be replenished quickly and easily throughout the day with minimal prep work.
Rum may not seem like an American choice for this most American of holidays, but surprisingly, rum played an important part in Colonial America. The first rum distillery was established in 1664 in what is now Staten Island. Prior to the Revolutionary War, it was estimated that every man. woman and child in the colonies consumed 13.5 liters of rum a year. The Sugar Act, which restricted the trading of rum between England and the Colonies among other things, contributed to the political climate that brought about the Revolutionary War. Even George Washington was a fan: he requested that a bottle of Barbados rum be brought to him in celebration of his inauguration in 1789. Enough with the history lesson; suffice it to say, rum may not be an American original, but it certainly contributed to our country becoming what it is today, with the exception, let's hope, of the rum-guzzling toddlers.
For this drink, use a light rum or a lightly aged rum like Old Mill or Treaty Oak (made with 100% Texas ingredients, including HIll Country Water and molasses). If a punch bowl is not handy, this drink can be made in a pitcher or even a clean bucket. The drink has more visual impact if it is made in a clear container, so that the red, white and blue colors are more visible. The recipe below will serve a large group. Make approximately half the recipe about 20 minutes before the guests arrive. About 30 minutes into the party (or earlier if you have thirsty guests) add the remaining ingredients so that they stay cold for a longer period of time.
Patriotic Punch
750 ml bottle of light or lightly aged rum (or 2 regular sized bottles)
2 bags frozen raspberries or strawberries
2 bags frozen blueberries
1 bunch white grapes, frozen
2 cups white grape juice
2 cups white cranberry juice
1/4 - 1/2 cup lime juice
3 cups lemon lime soda or ginger ale
Assembly is simple. Stir the rum and the juices together in the punch bowl and then add the fruit gently: blueberries first, then grapes, then raspberries. Top with the soda (DO NOT STIR) and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Since the drink is chilled only by the fruit, it might be a good idea to chill the punch bowl and all the ingredients before assembly. Also, if you have a small empty cooler, simply set the punch bowl inside on a bed of ice. If your coolers are filled with beer, look for a high sided roasting pan and set the bowl inside and fill the outside with ice. If none of this works for you, just add a little less soda to the punch and serve it on the rocks.
Remember to toast before imbibing and feel proud that you are drinking in the great Colonial tradition of George Washington and thousands of men, women and children before you.
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