Dr. Cocktail

This cocktail is just what the doctor ordered… if your doctor happens to be a fan of Tiki drinks as prescriptions for whatever is ailing you. The Dr. Cocktail is a revamped version of a prohibition-era drink that features Swedish Punsch. The original recipe used a blend of orange and lemon juices as the base, but we see it done with lime a lot more often and have to jump on the lime bandwagon with our version, as well. Our version is very similar to the recipe from the Kronan website. The drink has great spiciness from the Swedish punsch liqueur and just a hint of sweetness to it that helps tame the lime juice. While those two ingredients balance each other out, the rum comes forward beautifully. It’s a great recipe for showcasing how much complexity the Swedish punsch can add to a drink.

This cocktail is usually served up, but we prefer it served over crushed ice. Since the ice helps to mellow out the flavors a bit, we also add in a little extra rum than the Kronan recipe called for. An aged rum that has some oaky vanilla notes to it is a good choice in this cocktail, something like Appleton X/V or Mount Gay Black Barrel. You can, of course, go straight for the top shelf and use an even darker rum or a rum with more age on it, as this is a drink that will really show off great spirit.

Dr. Cocktail
2 oz Jamaican rum (we used Appleton X/V)
3/4 oz Swedish Punsch
3/4 oz lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice and shake until cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

Serves 1.