OUR RUMS | Punch House Most Excellent Rums

“The Public is hereby assured that I buy my goods on the keys, and at the best hand, with ready money, and am at this time provided with well chosen Rum, as in any in Town, and will at all times procure the best that is imported”

James Ashley, Founder of the London Punch-House, 1731

The heart of Punch-House is created by bringing barrels of the finest aged rum coming from the Islands of
Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.

At the time of the Punch-House these Most Excellent imported Rums would have been held in high esteem fetching prices similar to French Cognac and Brandy. A highly sophisticated drink that was a far cry from the rough old grog rums served up to crews in the English Navy.

These hand-selected rums are carefully composed each year by our Master Blenders, rum-makers for over three centuries, who were shipping rum in the time of the original Punch-House.

All Punch-House Rums are 100% PURE RUM
and we do not use cheaper neutral spirits
to pack out the blend.

“The Punch-House recipe calls for a supple, smooth and mellow sipping Rum, balanced in cocktails but with enough character to be satisfying when served simply over ice. It is not a Flavoured Rum - it is a Rum with flavour.”

Following the composition of the Rum - each of the original recipes for Punch-House Rums is then created through the infusion of natural botanicals.

Our recipes use a process of maceration, where real fruit is steeped in alcohol to extract its essential qualities and character. These different natural extracts are then combined with the rum and allowed to rest and marry together.

Each rum uses several of these natural extracts in combination in order to build complexity in the glass.

Modern Rums are most often flavoured by the addition of simple essences but the maceration process used for
Punch-House brings a finer and subtler taste.

“Maceration is a gentle, slow and carefully controlled process that like Ashley's original
Oleo Saccharum - harvests the essential qualities of the botanicals and gives a taste that is altogether more genuine and more refined."

Mrs Gaywood, was the original Barkeeper of the Punch-House and held in such affection by James Ashley that he had the artist Thomas Worlidge paint her portrait.

Pineapple's were the great rarity in Georgian London and cost over £5,000 each meaning only a King could afford one. Such was their allure Pineapple mania hit London and often they would be hired out for Dinner Parties just to look at.

“Charles II, christened the Pineapple - King Pine - and sent for one from Barbados to be perched on a pyramid of fruit at dinner."

CHARLES II PRESENTED WITH A PINEAPPLE, 1675

Ashley imported the finest Seville Oranges for this process and the peels were strung from the ceiling of the Punch-House.

And when his silver orange strainer went missing he advertised a grand reward for its return.

His advertising was keen to inform his clientele that the Punch would be mixed with the Seville Oranges before there eyes so there could be no doubt about the quality of the ingredients.

“Lately Imported from Seville...this juice..in the making of Punch equals any Seville Oranges when in their perfection."

THE LONDON CHRONICLE, 1759

The writer Charles Dickens was another famous character intertwined with the Punch-House. The father of his first illustrator and friend John Leech (founder of Punch Magazine) became the owner of the Punch-House.

By that time it was also serving as a Coffee-House and we find the reference to Punch-House in his book Little Dorrit.

Dickens himself was also partial to Cherry Pudding featuring it in another of his books Nicholas Nickleby.

“Mr Arthur Clenham sat in the window of the coffee-house on Ludgate Hill..."

LITTLE DORRIT, 1855-1857

Our Punch-House Rums are steeped in the history of Ashley's famous Punch-House which drew the free-thinkers, libertarians and philosophers of the day through its doors.

Through Punch-House Rums we hope to inspire and support

EMERGING CREATIVE TALENT

in all its forms.

Our Commitment that..

ALL ARE WELCOME

and encouraged to express themselves with liberty!