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Home » Recipes » Beverages

Published: Jun 24, 2022 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Barbados Rum Punch (Bajan)

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A glass of Barbados rum punch on a white wooden board with a tiki umbrella garnishing the drink and text overlay on top of the photo.
A glass of Barbados rum punch on a white wooden board with a tiki umbrella garnishing the drink and text overlay on top of the photo.

Bring a taste of the Caribbean right to your home with a batch of this authentic Barbados rum punch! Made with Barbados dark rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and the right touch of sweetener, this tropical punch recipe is quick and easy to whip up, and you can make a big pitcher for a crowd or individual drinks. You'll feel like you're relaxing on a beautiful beach when sipping on this Bajan rum punch.

A Barbados rum punch on a white coaster with tropical flowers all around it.
Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Expert Tips
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Get More Tropical Cocktails
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Authentic Caribbean rum punch: We traveled to Barbados in February 2022 and fell in love with the rum punch served by our boat crew during a fabulous snorkeling, lunch and cocktail trip with Silver Moon Catamaran Cruises. They were kind enough to share the recipe, and after a little research, I can confirm that this is the authentic Barbados rum punch recipe.

Allows the rum to shine: Some rum punches include multiple kinds of fruit juice, and while they are delicious, those extra sweet flavors tend to mask the nuanced flavor of the rum. This is a rum-forward punch with refreshing citrusy notes and the perfect level of sweetness.

Simple ingredients: We don’t need any fancy syrups or cocktail ingredients. Everything we need is readily available at the liquor store or grocery store.

Perfect for home bartenders of all skill levels: If you can stir, you can make this rum cocktail. Plus, it’s great for making ahead of time for easy entertaining.

Related: For more tropical drinks, try this peach daiquiri, Painkiller cocktail coconut margarita or caipirinha cocktail.

Ingredients

The ingredients with black and white labels on a wooden surface.

Barbados rum: Naturally, we start with a dark rum from Barbados. In Barbados, you’ll find four different rum distilleries: Mount Gay Distilleries, West Indies Rum Distillery, Foursquare Rum Distillery and St. Nicholas Abbey. Plantation Rum, which is widely available in the U.S., also distills rum at the West Indies location.

Lime juice: Please do not use bottled juice – fresh-squeezed lime juice only. We are working with so few ingredients, so quality matters. Bottled juice is much more muted in flavor.

Simple syrup: While store-bought simple syrup is available, I prefer to make my own. Not only is it significantly cheaper, but I think it tastes better and doesn’t contain any weird ingredients.

Just bring 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve, and you have your simple syrup. As long as you store it in a sterile, airtight container in the refrigerator, it should last for about a month. You’ll know it’s time to make a new batch when the syrup turns cloudy.

Bitters: The classic angostura bitters are standard here. But feel free to add your own favorite variety. I imagine orange bitters or clove bitters would be lovely.

Nutmeg: This favorite Caribbean spice is our garnish, and we add it directly on top of the drink. It adds the perfect touch of spice and fragrance. While garnishes are typically optional, I don’t recommend skipping this for an authentic rum punch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you can believe it, making this Bajan rum punch only takes three easy steps. Let’s review.

Step 1: We grab a large pitcher and pour in the Barbados rum, water, lime juice and simple syrup as well as add a few dashes of bitters (photo 1).

Pouring the rum into the pitcher with the other ingredients.

Step 2: Now we grab a large spoon and stir together the ingredients like so (photo 2).

Stirring the punch in a large pitcher with a spoon on a white wooden surface.

Step 3: For our final step, we pour the punch into a glass with plenty of ice and directly grate the nutmeg on top of the drink (photo 3). If you'd like, you're more than welcome to also garnish this drink with pieces of tropical fruit or orange slices, though that's completely optional.

Grating the nutmeg over a glass on punch on a white wooden surface.

And that’s it! How easy was that? Now you have the most delicious Caribbean rum punch. Sip, close your eyes and pretend you’re living the dream on the beach.

Recipe FAQs

What is the rhyme for a Barbados rum punch recipe?

A true Barbados rum punch recipe follows this famous Bajan national rhyme: One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak – a dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice. Here, the sour is the lime juice, the sweet is the simple syrup, the three is the rum and the weak is the water. You’ll notice this recipe also follows those exact proportions for an authentic rum punch. 

And you don’t just have to apply this rhyme to this particular recipe. You can follow the proportions to make your own unique punch, such as swapping water for orange juice or substituting the white sugar syrup for a brown sugar syrup.

Do you need to refrigerate rum punch?

You do not need to refrigerate rum punch and can serve this punch right away. That said, if you would like to make it ahead of time, you need to refrigerate it.

I like to keep the top of the pitcher covered in plastic wrap and recommend serving within 24 hours. After that point, the lime juice starts to lose its brightness.

Do you have to use Barbados rum?

Well, I’d argue it’s not truly an authentic Barbados punch if you use a different type of rum. That said, a Jamaican rum will still give you a delicious tropical rum punch, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this delicious drink because you don’t have the right dark rum on hand. But if you can, I highly recommend using a Barbados rum to stay true to the drink’s essence.

Can you make individual servings?

Absolutely, simply stir together the ingredients directly in the serving glass, add ice and top with nutmeg. You don’t even need a cocktail shaker. You can find the proportions for a single serving in the notes section of the recipe card.

Looking down at two Barbados rum punch glasses with colorful flowers around them.

Expert Tips

Ground your own nutmeg: You can purchase ground nutmeg, but freshly grating your own adds way more flavor and fragrance. Simply run a whole nutmeg along a microplane grater or the small holes on a standard cheese grater.

Use a citrus juicer: To get more juice from your limes, firmly roll them on the countertop a few times under the palm of your hand and then use a citrus juicer to extract. A handheld citrus juicer works just fine here – you don’t need anything fancy.

Easily customize your servings: The recipe lists proportions for both a single serving in ounces and an eight-serving pitcher in cups. Single cocktails are measured in ounces, but it’s much easier to use cups for batching drinks. If you need to customize the proportions for another serving size, we can easily apply the following formula to the individual proportions.

Take the number of ounces of each ingredient and multiple it by the number of servings. Then, divide it by eight to get the cup measurement.

Perfect Pairing

Naturally, we need some good island food with this Caribbean rum punch, so let’s enjoy some of my jerk chicken and jerk pork. Yes, I realize jerk marinade is from Jamaica rather than Barbados, but those spices work so well with the molasses of the dark rum. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy some jerk chicken when they’re looking for a taste of the Caribbean?

You could also try my jerk chicken enchiladas and jerk pork nachos for something a little different. And don’t forget to serve it with some of my mango-habanero salsa or tropical pico de gallo on the side.

Treat you and your guests to a refreshing, beachy cocktail with this authentic Barbados rum punch. It’s sure to be everyone’s new favorite summer party cocktail.

Cheers!

A hand grabbing a glass of the Barbados rum punch on a white coaster with flowers around it.

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If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

A Barbados rum punch on a white coaster with tropical flowers all around it.

Barbados Rum Punch (Bajan)

Bring a taste of the Caribbean right to your home with a batch of this authentic Barbados rum punch! Made with Barbados dark rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and the right touch of sweetener, this tropical punch recipe is quick and easy to whip up, and you can make a big pitcher for a crowd or individual drinks.
5 from 127 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: Bajan
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Large pitcher
  • Large spoon
  • Citrus juicer
  • Microplane grater

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ cups Barbados dark rum
  • 1 cup simple syrup preferably homemade
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 8 dashes bitters
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  • In a large pitcher, add the water, rum, simple syrup, lime juice and bitters.
  • With a large spoon, stir together the ingredients until well combined.
  • Pour the punch into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with grated nutmeg right on top of the drink. Enjoy!

Notes

  • For a single serving, use 2 ounces water, 1.5 ounces Barbados dark rum, 1 ounce simple syrup, 0.5 ounce lime juice and a dash of bitters. Stir directly in the serving glass, add ice and top with nutmeg. 
  • To customize your servings, use the measurements of the single serving and take the number of ounces of each ingredient and multiple it by the number of servings. Then, divide it by eight to get the cup measurement.
  • Make up to a day in advance and store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap on top.
  • To make your own simple syrup, boil 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar, stirring to dissolve.
  • This is an authentic recipe from Silver Moon Catamaran Cruises in Barbados.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Debbie says

    July 10, 2022 at 8:05 am

    5 stars
    This rum punch was delicious and something I’ll be sipping on all summer. I loved how you could taste the rum.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:23 am

      I'll cheers to that!

      Reply
  2. Amy Casey says

    July 09, 2022 at 8:12 am

    5 stars
    This was the perfect drink to serve at my last book club meeting. I love making a big pitcher of drinks - so delish and fun to serve.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:23 am

      I bet that was a good time!

      Reply
  3. Sharon says

    July 08, 2022 at 10:45 am

    5 stars
    I LOVE dark rum cocktails so when I saw that this used it, I knew I was going to love it! The perfect pitcher cocktail to enjoy with friends.

    Reply
  4. Jessica says

    July 07, 2022 at 9:06 am

    5 stars
    The nutmeg was the most unexpected and delicious touch! I'm making a pitcher of this for my next summer gathering. Yummy!!!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:22 am

      Sounds like a good time!

      Reply
  5. Veronika says

    July 06, 2022 at 6:52 am

    5 stars
    I loved the simplicity of this cocktail! I also usually add a ton of fruit juice to rum to make cocktails but I definitely didn't miss it in this drink and liked that I can really taste the rum!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:21 am

      It really doesn't need all those other juices! I'm just so in love with it. So happy you agree.

      Reply
  6. Ann says

    July 05, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    I figured this would be the perfect drink for a summer party, so I made it for the 4th of July. It was such a hit that I ended up making another pitcher!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:21 am

      That's always a good sign!

      Reply
  7. Cathleen says

    July 05, 2022 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    I love how simple this recipe is!! I have all of the ingredients, so I just made it for a nice summer happy hour at home. I’ll be making this again for sure.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:21 am

      Cheers to you!

      Reply
  8. Marta says

    July 05, 2022 at 10:51 am

    5 stars
    I love all kinds of rum cocktails (I'm half-Puerto Rican, so we appreciate good rum drinks), but this rum punch was over the moon! The bitters added just the right amount of herbaceous flavor and the lime juice balanced out the flavors perfectly.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:20 am

      Thank you! Rum has a special place in my heart -- glad you loved it just as much!

      Reply
  9. Freya says

    July 05, 2022 at 12:36 am

    5 stars
    It was the little pinch of fresh nutmeg that made this punch really pop! We loved them!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:19 am

      Totally agree! When we were in Barbados, one of my friends couldn't stop talking about how much the nutmeg made the drink. It really does add something special!

      Reply
  10. Bernice says

    July 04, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    5 stars
    We had a Caribbean-inspired dinner with our friends and made this punch. Wow, it was so good! Everyone drank it down easily.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 12, 2022 at 9:18 am

      I'm pretty sure I could take down a pitcher by myself! It's just too smooth. 😇

      Reply

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A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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