Dark and Stormy Death Punch

By BobD

This is Grace Parisi's take on the Dark and Stormy, a classic rum and ginger beer drink. Floating in the punch bowl are round ice cubes made with lychee syrup and lychees stuffed with brandied cherries, which have an uncanny resemblance to eyeballs.

Ingredients

• One 20-ounce can lychees in heavy syrup
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 16 brandied cherries
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 12 ounces dark rum
• Three 12-ounce bottles ginger beer
• Ice cubes

Details

Servings 8
Cooking time 270mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan, bring the lychee syrup and ginger to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, stuff 16 lychees with brandied cherries. Set each lychee in the cup of a mini muffin pan or in an ice cube tray. Strain the lychee-ginger syrup and pour it over the lychees. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Meanwhile, in a pitcher, stir the sugar into the lime juice until dissolved. Add the rum and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Unmold the lychee ice cubes into a small punch bowl. Pour in the lime-rum mixture. Add the ginger beer, stir gently and serve in ice-filled glasses.