Barbados Rum Punch

When people ask me my favorite cocktail I always have a few answers, but when asked my favorite cocktail to make I say Barbados Rum Punch. It's simple and scales from one glass to a big tub for an outdoor party of fifty people. Best of all, the recipe is a rhyme:

• One part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong, four parts weak.

Where sour is unsweetened lime juice, sweet is a liquid sweetener (simple syrup works best), strong is alcohol, namely Rum (I prefer Dark Rum), and weak is water. (Since the simple syrup has water in it, I recommend going a little light on the water.) That's all there is to it.

Stir the ingredients together, add some sliced fruit (whatever's in season; citrus, apples, and pears work well), and stash in a refrigerator until the appointed time arrives.

Serve in a tall glass filled with ice and add a dash of Angstora bitters. Garnish with a paper umbrella or local flora for that true Carribbean experience.

• -- Jim Nelson, 18 November 2013