Chef notes
Rum punch is one of those drinks that sneaks up on you. When I serve it, I turn on some Bob Marley and we sit out on the back porch and just chill. Rum makes you feel all warm and happy — especially when it's combined with watermelon! The bubbly ginger beer lightens it all up and gives a little spicy kick. If you have a crowd, this recipe is easily doubled or tripled. And here's a shortcut: If you don't feel like breaking down a whole watermelon, most produce sections sell watermelon that's already been cut into cubes.
Technique tip: Buy precut watermelon as a time-saver.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds cubed, seedless watermelon (about 8 cups), plus more wedges for garnish
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup light rum
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle ginger beer
- thin orange slices, for garnish
Preparation
Put the cubed watermelon in a blender and blend until liquified. Pour the mixture through a very fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher and discard the solids. Add the orange juice, lime juice, and rum and stir well. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve, add the ginger, beer and float orange sliced in the punch. Fill rocks glasses with ice, pour in the punch, and garnish each glass with a watermelon wedge.
