Martha Washington's Rum Punch

In honor of this, the anniversary of the birth of our nation, the ladies of LUPEC are raising a glass to our original First Lady.

It is well known that Martha Washington took her duties as First Lady very seriously and entertained in a formal style. Her wish was that our new country and government would be seen as equals to it's well established European counterparts. Most of Martha's events would begin with her signature cocktails being served before dinner at their Virginia home, Mount Vernon. The cocktails would utilize spirits from their distillery which was one of the largest and most profitable during the colonial era. And now a toast to our premiere First Lady using a recipe from her notes!

Martha Washington's Rum Punch

4 oz Lemon Juice
4 oz Orange Juice
4 oz Simple Syrup
3 Lemons quartered
1 Orange quartered
1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg
3 Cinnamon Sticks broken
6 Cloves
12 oz Boiling Water

In a container mash the lemons, orange, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Add syrup, lemon and orange juice. Pour the boiling water over the mixture. Let it cool. Strain out the solids. Heat the juice mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool and refrigerate over night.
In a punch bowl combine:

3 parts juice mixture
1 part Light Rum
1 part Dark Rum
1/2 part Orange Curacao

Serve the punch over ice. Top with grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

Cheers!