Batch Chai Rum Punch

Before you start

This original punch borrows the warm spices of masala chai, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and black pepper, and brews them into a sweetened black tea that becomes the base for a bowl of rum punch. Aged rum brings molasses and vanilla, lemon adds the brightness every punch needs, and a splash of soda at the end keeps it lively.

The tea must be chilled before you mix, or it will melt your ice and taste weak, so plan ahead. Steep the tea leaves only 4 minutes off the heat; the spices can simmer longer, but long-steeped tea turns tannic and bitter once it is cold. Make the base up to a day in advance and add soda only when guests arrive.

Ingredients

• Spiced chai base800 ml (27 oz) water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 green cardamom pods — cracked
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 thin slices fresh ginger
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 4 bags or 8 g black tea — Assam or English breakfast
• 120 g (⅔ cup) demerara or light brown sugar
• Punch400 ml (13½ oz) aged rum
• 150 ml (5 oz) fresh lemon juice — about 4 lemons
• 250 ml (8½ oz) chilled soda water — added at serving
• as needed large ice cubes or an ice block
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus a few cinnamon sticks — garnish

Method

1. Combine the water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, peppercorns and star anise in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes until the liquid is fragrant and lightly amber.
2. Turn off the heat, add the tea and steep for exactly 4 minutes. Remove the tea bags or strain out the leaves without squeezing them.
3. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then strain out all the spices. You should have about 750 ml of spiced tea.
4. Cool the tea to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Cover it to keep fridge odors out.
5. When you are ready to serve, combine the chilled chai, rum and lemon juice in the punch bowl and stir. Taste and add a little more lemon or sugar if needed.
6. Add a block of ice or large cubes, then pour in the soda water and stir once. Float the lemon slices and cinnamon sticks, and ladle about 150 ml into each cup.

Tips for success

• Freeze a block of ice in a loaf pan the night before. It melts far slower than cubes and keeps the punch from diluting too fast.
• Juice the lemons on the day; lemon juice loses its brightness after several hours.
• Leave out the rum entirely and add 400 ml of extra chilled tea or ginger beer for a matching alcohol-free bowl.

Substitutions

Aged rum

Bourbon makes a deeper, oakier punch. Spiced rum works but is sweeter; cut the sugar to 90 g.

Whole spices

2 tsp of ground chai spice can stand in, but it clouds the tea and leaves sediment. Strain through a coffee filter.

Black tea

Rooibos makes a caffeine-free base with a softer, honeyed flavor. Steep it for 6 minutes, since it does not turn bitter.

Variations

Hot chai toddy punch

Skip the soda and chilling. Combine the hot spiced tea with the rum and 100 ml lemon juice, keep it warm on the lowest setting of a slow cooker, and ladle into mugs.

Troubleshooting

The punch tastes bitter and dry

The tea steeped too long or the bags were squeezed. Keep it to 4 minutes and lift the bags out gently.

It tastes weak by the end of the party

Small ice melted fast in warm tea. Chill the base completely and use a single block of ice.

The spices are faint

Ground or old whole spices lose aroma. Use fresh whole spices and crack the cardamom so the seeds are exposed.

Storage

Keep the spiced tea base, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add soda and ice only when serving. Once mixed, keep the punch cold and discard leftovers that have sat out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

The full bowl contains 400 ml of 40% rum, about 9 U.S. standard drinks, so each 150 ml serving is roughly 0.9 standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Punch is easy to over-drink; offer an alcohol-free option and water. For adults of legal drinking age only, and never drink and drive.