Rum & Lemon Punch

David Copperfield, Charles Dickens, 1850

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

1 lemon twist

2 oz. rum

Place the lemon juice and lemon twist in a highball glass and fill the glass with ice.

Add the rum, stir to combine, and enjoy.

I informed Mr. Micawber that I relied upon him for a bowl of punch, and led him to the lemons. His recent despondency, not to say despair, was gone in a moment. I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon-peel and sugar, the odour of burning rum, and the steam of boiling water, as Mr. Micawber did that afternoon. It was wonderful to see his face shining at us out of a thin cloud of these delicate fumes, as he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity.

Poor Mr. Micawber always finds himself in dire situations with money, yet he somehow remains optimistic that “something is about to turn up.” In this case, David Copperfield kindly diverts Micawber’s attention away from his latest financial woes and back to the task at hand: the fashioning of a Rum & Lemon Punch! While this particular version is served on the rocks, don't hesitate to put it in a mug and add a bit of boiling water when the weather turns cold.