The Myrtle Bank Hotel in Jamaica was the place to head in the days when tourists actually went to Kingston. During Prohibition, they would sit on the porch and sip rum punches. The Myrtle Bank Rum Punch is legendary and for years no one knew the secret ingredient. It’s maraschino liqueur—an ingredient that turns up in several Caribbean drinks of that period.
makes 1 drink
2 ounces Jamaican-style dark rum, such as Appleton or Myers’s
1 ounce freshly squeezed strained lime juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
½ ounce grenadine
Ice cubes
Crushed ice
Club soda
Maraschino liqueur
Combine the rum, lime juice, sugar, and grenadine in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Top with club soda and float a slick of maraschino liqueur on the top by slowly pouring a teaspoon of the liqueur over the back of a spoon into the glass. Serve immediately.