Whether it’s a bone-dry Martini or a full-blown tiki extravaganza, an element of theatre is inherent in every cocktail. Ian Fleming clearly understood this, and often treated his guests in Jamaica to his flaming rum punch, which he called Old Man’s Thing. The recipe, divulged by Fleming’s housekeeper, is simple and brutally boozy, comprising just bottom-shelf rum, sugar and citrus peel, which he set on fire. Our interpretation sticks closer to the traditional definition of a punch: alcohol, citrus, tea and something to sweeten. Sherbets are light and zesty syrups, while the sweetener here is Velvet Falernum, a rum-based liqueur made with ginger, cloves and almond. The flaming theatre comes from a “float” of overproof rum on the surface.
SERVES UP TO 25
50ml (2fl oz) Angostura bitters
200ml (7fl oz) lemon juice
200ml (7fl oz) lemon sherbet (see here)
200ml (7fl oz) mandarin sherbet (see here)
200ml (7fl oz) Velvet Falernum
1 litre (1¾ pints) Plantation Jamaica rum (or other Jamaican rum)
1 litre (1¾ pints) Assam tea
50ml (2fl oz) Wray & Nephew overproof rum (or other overproof rum)
FOR THE ASSAM TEA, MAKES 1 LITRE (1¾ PINTS)
4 Assam teabags or 40g loose Assam tea
1 litre (1¾ pints) boiling water
TO GARNISH
lemon slices
star anise
edible flowers
fresh mint leaves
freshly grated nutmeg
To make the tea, steep the tea bags or loose tea in the boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain and cool.
To make the punch, measure the ingredients, except the overproof rum, into a punch bowl. Add a large block of ice and some slices of lemon, star anise, edible flowers and fresh mint, and stir well. Pour the overproof rum very gently down the side of the punch bowl – being lighter and more volatile than the punch, it should remain on top. Dim the lights, use a match to light the rum, then grate over some nutmeg and enjoy the merry sparks.
OLD MAN’S THING
Old Man’s Thing (sometimes referred to as Poor Man’s Thing) is a theatrical drink Fleming used to serve to guests at Goldeneye. Here’s the recipe described by Violet, Fleming’s housekeeper in Jamaica:
“Well, you have a dish. You have skin of the orange, skin of the lemon. You pour a bottle of cheap Three Daggers rum on top. Put in sugar. Put on oven. Keep stirring. Set light to dish, then turn out all lights in house when you carry the ‘Poor man’s thing’ into guests.”
FROM THE LIFE OF IAN FLEMING BY JOHN PEARSON
I do hope that our meeting will not be too long deferred, and that if I do not catch up with you in America I may do so in Jamaica when, over a glass of flaming Old Man’s Liqueur, we can discuss cabbages and kings.
IN A LETTER TO HERMAN FRANZ LIEBERT, 12 JULY 1961
“And now what can I get you to drink?” He went to the loaded sideboard. “Something cool and not too strong perhaps? A Planter’s Punch? Gin and tonic. Or there are various beers. You must have had a hot journey in that open launch. I would have sent my boat for you if only I had known.”
THUNDERBALL
CHAPTER 13. “MY NAME IS EMILIO LARGO”
