Home Speakeasy

One of our favorite things to bring to any kind of potluck is a punch. They take less time to prepare than a dish, and in all honesty, we have some friends that can easily put our cooking abilities to shame. Everyone enjoys a good punch at a party, and it’s the most convenient way to keep everyone happy and holding tasty drink without having to spend the whole time mixing for them. This particular potluck was southern-themed, so with that in mind, Jen and I each came up with a punch spin on a classic southern cocktail.

Blackberry Passionfruit Mojito

1 pint blackberries
1 bottle Mount Gay Silver rum
1 cup Jamaican rum
1 cup mint simple syrup (recipe below)
1 cup passion fruit syrup
1/2 bunch of mint
0.75 liter seltzer water
1 cup lime juice

1 | Transfer the rum to a large mason jar, along with half of the blueberries and 10 mint leaves. Muddle the berries and leaves, seal, and allow to sit for 24-48 hours. Shake regularly.

2 | Fill a large round bowl (smaller than the bowl you will be serving from) with boiled water. Freeze. This will take at least 12 hours in most freezers, so leave time.

3 | Strain rum into a large pitcher to remove solids. Add passion fruit, lime juice and seltzer and stir well. Add additional passion fruit to taste.

4 | Get the ice bowl from the freezer and dip into hot water to release. Place it in the serving bowl. Toss in the remaining blackberries and 20 or so mint leaves. Pour the punch in, and enjoy!

Serves 8-10 people that know how to enjoy their alcohol.

NOTES: This one was the winner of the night. A bit dangerous, as it didn’t taste much like alcohol, so watch your consumption. Sweet, crisp, tangy and refreshing. And when the punch runs out, you’ve got a handful of rum-soaked blackberries to snack on at the bottom of the bowl!

Rye Mint Julep Punch

1 bottle Rittenhouse Rye
1.5 cups mint simple syrup (recipe below)
0.75 liter seltzer water
1/2 bunch of mint

1 | Transfer rye to mason jar with 20 mint leaves. Muddle the leaves gently, seal the jar and allow to sit for 24-48 hours.

2 | Fill a large round bowl (smaller than the bowl you will be serving from) with boiled water. Freeze. This will take at least 12 hours in most freezers, so leave time.

3 | Strain rye into a pitcher, and add mint simple syrup and seltzer. Stir well. Add more mint syrup to taste, if you so desire.

4 | Get the ice bowl from the freezer and dip into hot water to release. Place it in the serving bowl. Add 20 or so mint leaves, add the rye mixture and serve!

Serves 8-10 people that enjoy a good julep.

NOTES: While not as creative as the Mojitos, I enjoyed the simplicity of this one. It is just what it sounds like: a julep without the trouble of preparing every one individually. Incredibly easy and cheap to make, and even easier to drink.

Mint Simple Syrup
Combine 1 cup brown sugar with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add 20 mint leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and bottle.

Shout out to our Potlucky friends from Bridges, Burgers & Beer, Fried Wontons for You, and of course Jackie from Running With Cupcakes for hosting and taking the photos!