Looking for the perfect punch recipe for a taste of history on Independence Day? Party like it’s 1776 with this historically accurate Founding Fathers Punch! I served this refreshing punch at my Hamilton party and have never received more compliments on a cocktail.

This is a twist on my famous 300 year-old Rum Punch. This punch is not nearly as strong, which makes sense as this would have been enjoyed by polite society – not pirates! This recipe follows the classic 18th century punch ratio of 1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong, 4 parts weak.

The mixer here is chilled black tea. You gotta love an affordable cocktail recipe! Tea was a popular mixer during that time period, which is why I used green tea in my Diamond of the Season punch at my Bridgerton party.

I must insist you use Caribbean rum to honor Alexander Hamilton’s roots. And don’t skip the garnishes. They add so much! I made a huge punch bowl here but this recipe is easy to make a smaller batch of following that same 1:2:3:4 ratio. For instance, a single glass would be .5 oz lemon juice, 1 oz brown simple syrup, 1.5 oz rum, 2 oz black tea and a pitcher would be 3/4 cup lemon juice, 1.5 cups brown simple syrup, 2 1/4 cups rum, 3 cups black tea.

Founding Fathers Punch 

1.5 cups fresh lemon juice
3 cups brown simple syrup, recipe follows
4.5 cups Caribbean rum 
6 cups black tea, chilled 
Angostura bitters
For garnish: orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves

1. Combine lemon juice, brown simple syrup, rum, and black tea in a punch bowl or pitcher and stir. Add a few dashes of angostura bitters and float orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and cloves on top.

To make brown simple syrup:
1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1.5 cups water

1. Boil brown sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool and store in the fridge. Makes 3 cups. Keeps for weeks in the fridge!