DrinkWire is Liquor.com's showcase for the best articles, recipe and reviews from the web's top writers and bloggers. In this post, Distillerista shares a seasonal recipe for Spiced Mango Ginger Punch.

Did you know mangos have two seasons? The first peaks as spring turns to summer and the second as fall gives way to winter, overlapping to provide an almost year-round season for delicious, juicy mangos! I was completely unaware of this delightful fact when searching the interwebs for inspiration regarding two lonely mangos past their prime in the back of my fridge. As soon as I realized mangos weren’t just for summer poolside rum-soaked applications, I couldn’t wait to create a more fall-inspired cocktail.

With Thanksgiving just next week (!!), I also thought it’d be wise to batch this festive cocktail out for all your group drinking needs. Below are recipes for both one drink and ten. Note: the recipes have slight variations in order to make the batched version more hostess-friendly. As I alluded to in Tuesday’s post, I’ve been on the hunt for high-quality mixers for You & Yours‘ debut cocktail program and am #obsessed with East Imperial Mombasa Ginger Beer at the moment. You can buy a 24-pack here (they will not go to waste, trust me!), but feel free to use your favorite ginger beer.

Recipe for 1 drink.

Ingredients:

• 1. 5 oz aged or spiced rum
• 2 oz. mango juice, puree or nectar (this can be store bought; *recipe for homemade to follow)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. brown sugar simple syrup, *recipe to follow
• ginger beer to top
• 2 T coconut or raw cane sugar for sugar rim, optional
• mango (fresh, dried or candied!) chunk or slice for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Pour brown sugar into a small shallow bowl and use a lemon wedge to wet the rim of a collins/highball glass or other tumbler. Gently dip the rim of the glass in the sugar and fill with fresh ice. Set aside.
2. Combine rum, mango puree, lemon juice and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
3. Shake for 10 seconds and strain into sugar rimmed glass. Top with ginger beer.
4. Garnish as desired and enjoy!

Recipe for homemade mango puree: In a blender combine 1 peeled, chopped mango (or 1 cup frozen mango, thawed) and a splash or two of water. Blend on high until completely smooth, 1 minute or more. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until ready to use, up to one day.

Recipe for brown sugar simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine one cup each brown sugar and water and simmer over medium-low heat until completely dissolved. Let cool and store any leftovers in a sealed jar or container for up to one month.

Recipe & Directions for batched version (10-12 drinks).

In a large drink dispenser or punch bowl, combine 1 750 mL bottle dark or spiced rum, 1 quart (32 oz) mango nectar, 1 cup (16 oz) brown sugar simple syrup, 1 cup lemon juice and 2 cups ginger beer. Give it a good stir and adjust the sugar syrup and lemon juice to taste if needed. Pro tip: If using a punch bowl, freeze lemon slices in water in a bundt pan and use as one giant ice cube! When the ice melts and the lemon slices float it will be beautiful.

Shopping list for batched version:

• One 750 mL bottle of your favorite aged or spiced rum; San Diegans – check out Malahat or Liberty Call
• One quart mango juice, nectar or puree; a mango juice blend or mango lemonade would also work just fine!
• 6-8 lemons or 8 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• One quart of your favorite ginger beer (be sure to use ginger beer, as ginger ale will likely make the drink too sweet)

pantry items: brown sugar, raw sugar or coconut sugar

{ Photos by Caroline Potter }

The post Fall-Inspired Spiced Mango Ginger Punch appeared first on Distillerista.