Gun Club Punch No. 1
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.8% ABV ∙
The Gun Club Punch No. 1 is a tiki punch of white and Jamaican aged rum with orange curaçao, pineapple and lime juice, shaken and strained over crushed ice. Crushed ice gives a slushy, cooling texture while tart lime and a whisper of grenadine balance the fruit-forward sweetness into a lingering, mellow finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 25 mlJamaican aged rum 25 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 10 mlGrenadine syrup 5 mlSugar syrup 5 mlPineapple juice 45 mlLime juice 20 ml
- Strain into a mug or glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a fruit skewer and a mint sprig
- Serve with a straw
- Note: Can be scaled up and served from a punch bowl or a large pitcher
Tips
- Shake hard for 12-15 seconds to fully integrate the two rums with the pineapple and lime juice before straining, since under-shaking leaves the drink thin and unblended.
- Measure the grenadine and sugar syrup carefully since both are small volumes; excess of either will oversweeten and mask the dual-rum backbone.
- When scaling up for a punch bowl, shake in batches rather than stirring the full volume so the citrus and syrups stay fully emulsified with the rums.
History
Gun Club Punch No. 1 is a tiki punch credited to Victor Bergeron, the Oakland, California restaurateur known as Trader Vic, who built his reputation on rum-based Polynesian-style drinks served at his Trader Vic's restaurants from the 1930s onward. The recipe, pairing a light Puerto Rican-style rum with dark Jamaican rum alongside lime, pineapple juice, curaçao, and grenadine, appears in Bergeron's own Bartender's Guide, with the widely cited version drawn from its 1972 revised edition. Bergeron specified that the drink be served in one of his custom green cartridge-shaped mugs, a novelty glass tied to the punch's name. The "No. 1" designation distinguishes it from other Gun Club Punch formulas that also circulated under Trader Vic's name, part of the sprawling family of exotic rum punches he devised alongside better-known creations like the Mai Tai.
FAQ
What is in a Gun Club Punch No. 1?
White rum and Jamaican aged rum, orange curaçao, grenadine and sugar syrup, and pineapple and lime juice, shaken and strained over crushed ice. It is served in a tiki mug and garnished with a fruit skewer and a mint sprig.
How do you make a Gun Club Punch No. 1?
Chill the glass, then shake the two rums, orange curaçao, grenadine, sugar syrup, pineapple juice, and lime juice hard with ice. Strain into a mug or glass packed with crushed ice, garnish with a fruit skewer and mint sprig, and serve with a straw.
How strong is a Gun Club Punch No. 1?
It comes in at about 14.8% ABV, kept relatively light because the pineapple and lime juice make up a large share of the build.
Is a Gun Club Punch No. 1 vegan?
Yes, it is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since the recipe relies only on rum, curaçao, syrups, and fresh juices with no dairy or animal-derived ingredients.
