There are only a few ingredients in this party-friendly pomegranate-rum punch from John McCarthy of Oran Mor and Greydon House in Nantucket, but each sip is out of the ordinary, with a delicate floral character and a cooling, dancing tingle on your tongue. The key element: a few tablespoons of numbing Sichuan peppercorns, which you spoon into a full bottle of light rum the day before your party. (Inverting the bottle occasionally offers all the fun of a snow globe, but with alcohol and spices instead of snow.)
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 16 drinks
Ingredients
1
2
25
8
8
4
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
At least 24 hours before you plan to serve the punch, fill a Tupperware or cake pan with water and freeze to make an ice block that will fit in your serving vessel, or make several trays of large ice cubes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, make the infused rum: Carefully spoon Sichuan peppercorns directly into the bottle of rum, using a funnel if desired. Reseal the bottle and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, jostling occasionally to move the peppercorns around. Strain the infused rum through a fine-mesh strainer and discard peppercorns. If not serving immediately, return the infused rum to the bottle using a funnel and store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
Step 3
When ready to serve, combine entire bottle of infused rum with the measured pomegranate juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and water in a large punch bowl. Stir well to mix and carefully add the ice block. Garnish punch bowl with lemon wheels, pomegranate seeds, and peppercorns if using. Ladle into ice-filled punch glasses and garnish each glass with a lemon wheel.
