PLANTERS PUNCH

PLANTERS PUNCH

Malibu Rum

Bacardi Anejo
Costillo Rum
Pineapple juice
Orange juice
Grenadine

After a long drive toOcean Isle Beach, North Carolina, and a day that involved three policemen interactionsamong our group — a speeding ticket, a parking lot accident, and an attempt tosave a puppy from a locked car — a cocktail was never more needed.

Luckily, the GigglingMackerel restaurant in Ocean City had a rooftop tiki bar with an adventurous bartendernamed Meredith. I asked for her signature cocktail and she asked me if it wasOK if it wasn’t frozen, shining a spotlight on the sad plight of ocean sidebars these days and their mandatory frozen cocktail machines. I said, hell no,I prefer something more creative and she proceeded to make me a PLANTERS PUNCHcocktail in a Styrofoam cup.

The cup may have beencheap, but with three types of rum and three kinds of juices, that cocktail washard work for Ms. Meredith. She said the key was the Bacardi Anejo, 80 proofaged rum that is smooth and tasty. Costillo Rum is exact same as Bacardi, but adifferent label so it can be sold to restaurants at a cheaper price. To makethe PLANTERS PUNCH, Ms. Meredith put these rums, along with Malibu Rum and thetwo juices above, into the cup. She added a dash of grenadine and lots of ice,and my PLANTERS PUNCH was ready to pour down my thirsty pie hole.

I enjoyed every sip.It went well with the ocean breeze and the shooting of the breeze with favoritefamily members. It was sweet, but not sticky sweet, like those frozen drinks.It took the classic rum and juice cocktail to a higher level. I’ve never been amassive rum fan, but the PLANTERS PUNCH makes me think that maybe I’ve justbeen doing it wrong all these years. Three rums or no rums is my new motto. Andthe five family members who drank the cocktail with me agreed. Fun group.Should be a good week, though I hope we’re done with blue sirens.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie