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This retro rum punch recipe is a refreshing cocktail that’s great for summer parties. It’s a simple, boozy punch recipe made with light rum and a handful of affordable ingredients. This easy party punch is inspired by a recipe I found in a 1960s cocktail recipe book. It’s a classic batch cocktail that will transport you and your party guests to a tropical getaway.

Let me first acknowledge that today is my birthday. I thought it only appropriate to celebrate by a sharing a drink with you, reader. I made this rum punch for the first time recently and it’s definitely one worth keeping in the recipe bank.

Last weekend, I hosted a 1960s-themed birthday party at my house. I found an amazing 1960s champagne beaded wiggle dress to wear and did my best to tease my hair as high as it would go. I also wanted the menu to reflect the theme, so I looked through all of my cookbooks from the 1950s and 1960s for retro recipe ideas. Along with a cheese ball, baked artichoke hearts and cocktail weenies, I wanted a retro drink to serve. Luckily, just weeks before, I’d brought home some vintage cocktail recipe booklets from an estate sale. One in particular seemed fitting: the BACARDI PARTY BOOK: Party Menus and Food Recipes especially prepared and edited by Mary Eckley, Food Editor, McCall’s, published in 1969.

I don’t know how people obtained such booklets back in the day, if they were included with purchase of a bottle at the liquor store, or if they could be sent for in the mail. In any case, I was happy to get my own copy, a whole 22 pages filled with rum cocktail recipes, dips and appetizers for all seasons, plus tips for making drinks.

I wanted something simple that I could batch, so I decided the rum punch was the perfect party drink. It was included in “The Tropical Party” section, along with recipes for Lobster Creole, Chilled Avocado Soup and Baked Pineapple In Shell Flambé. Most of that sounded a bit complex, but the rum punch couldn’t be easier. It’s a five ingredient drink that you can adjust to your preference for flavors and sweetness. I made a few changes to the original recipe that I explain below.

How to make retro rum punch

This punch is as easy as adding all of the ingredients to a pitcher and stirring. There’s no muddling or shaking involved and it requires just a handful of simple ingredients.

Ingredients in rum punch

This rum punch is incredibly easy to make. The best party is it’s totally customizable, so you can adjust the amount and kind of juice you use. Here’s what the original recipe calls for:

• Light rum – This recipe calls for light rum. You could try it with dark rum if that’s your thing, but I think light rum makes it a lighter, more refreshing drink.
• Pineapple juice – The punch gets some sweetness from pineapple juice. We actually ended up adding a little more to each glass than the recipe called for. I bought the kind sold in a carton in the refrigerated section.
• Orange juice – I had some Simply Orange with Mango Juice Blend in the fridge so that’s what I used. The original recipe calls for plain orange juice, but either will work. Just make sure it’s 100% juice, not from concentrate.
• Lime or lemon juice – The original recipe suggests lime or lemon juice. You could also try a combination of the two. I went with lemon juice and it worked well. I suggest always using freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice for cocktails.
• Ginger ale or soda – The original recipe calls for 1 quart ginger ale or soda. Since the punch is already pretty sweet from the fruit juice, I went with 1 liter of soda water. (A quart has slightly more volume than a liter.)
• Fresh fruit – The recipe suggests decorating with sliced fresh fruit. I opted to set out a bowl of pineapple chunks to add to the individual glasses of punch. If serving in a punch bowl, you could add slices of orange, lemon and lime to decorate.
• Ice – You’ll need to add ice to the glasses before pouring in the punch. The original recipe suggested filling the punch bowl with ice, but I didn’t want it to water down the drink; instead I added ice to the glasses as we filled each one.
• Sugar (optional) – The original recipe suggests sweetening with sugar to your preference after mixing the rum, juices and soda together. I try to avoid added sugar, and I thought the punch was sweet enough already. If you like your drinks really sweet, you could add some simple syrup.

Bar tools needed to make rum punch

Since this is a batch cocktail, you don’t need a shaker or any fancy tools. A few kitchen staples will help:

• Knife and cutting board – You’ll need a small knife and cutting board to cut the limes and/or lemons.
• Glass measuring cup – I used a glass measuring cup with a stainless steel juicer lid to measure the fresh lemon juice before pouring it into the pitcher. You could use a small citrus juicer instead.
• Punch bowl or large pitcher – My mom gave me a glass pitcher she’s had for thirty years to help complete the look. The pitcher was beautiful and the exact right size for this recipe. This made it a little scary to pour, since I’m such a klutz. You may want to use a large punch bowl with a ladle instead.
• Large spoon – You’ll need a large spoon to stir all of the ingredients in the punch bowl or pitcher.

I hope you enjoy this rum punch as much as I did at my birthday party. Cheers!

(My ice bucket is vintage but if you like the look, this gold ice bucket from CB2 is similar. You can see more similar styles below under “Shop the look.”)

Retro rum punch recipe

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Love retro cocktails? Check out my Gin Ricky Cocktail Recipe – A Classic Gin Drink.