Bring Boricua vibes to your Super Bowl party with a guava rum punch

Like so many Americans right now, I'm intently focused on the big football game coming up, eager to cheer on the teams with my fellow gridiron die-hards! I want to get their take on some of my most pressing questions - like, is halftime when they resurface the field and send out the Zamboni? Once the Seahawks goalie gets into the red zone, does someone throw a penalty kick? When do the Patriots yell "fore"?

It is perhaps relevant here that I spent my formative football-appreciation years a) hiding under the high school bleachers watching my fellow theater kids smoke clove cigarettes and quote Sondheim, only vaguely aware that at times the bleachers above us would grow thunderously loud for reasons we couldn't discern through the sea of legs, and b) overseas, where, in a burst of patriotism, I also failed at developing appreciation for soccer.

It's not that I regret my choices - I'll always prefer "Finishing the Hat" to field goals - but I wish I'd paid enough attention to football to not feel like such a doofus amid crowds of loved ones who love it. Way before halftime rolls around, the smart fans have tuned out my dumb questions, and I've tried to make myself useful by sticking to the only role that makes me tolerable at Super Bowl parties in the first place: making drinks. Call me when the commercials come on! I'll be in the kitchen snarfing queso and squeezing limes.

The limes are for my own bowl game, which happens in an actual bowl: Watch parties are made for big-batch drinks that you can mix up and then pretty much ignore, to focus on the game or the appetizers. Do I need to rehash all the reasons that a punch format is the smart play for a big, boisterous crowd? Obviously I'm pro-cocktail, but gathering everyone's particular martini specs is not for an environment where people are yelling at the screen, and where fandom can add a whole new layer of complication: "Gin, extra cold, splash the vermouth in the direction of Tom Brady's trophy collection and deflate the olive." No thank you. Just put out the bowl, and let the fans go wild.

But this year, it was a no-brainer to look to the halftime stage for inspiration, where Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, will be bringing crowds to their feet.

There are musicians for whom it would be tough to figure out a good thematic punch, but with his passion for his native Puerto Rico, home of many a delicious rum drink, Bad Bunny is not one of them, and this punch aims to bring some Boricua to the Bowl.

My one regret here is not including pitorro, the high-proof sugar cane spirit native to Puerto Rico, name-checked by the wascally wabbit himself in his song "Pitorro de Coco." I steered away from it for a couple of reasons: One, the song is basically about drinking yourself into oblivion out of heartbreak, and no one wants that kinda vibe at the Super Bowl.

But, more important, pitorro is not as widely available in the mainland United States. You can find some commercially available versions of the stuff, but because pitorro historically holds a similar place in Puerto Rican culture as moonshine does in Appalachia, my guess is that the versions you'll find at the airport in San Juan are not the illicit kick in the face that Bad Bunny is crooning about.

But if you can find some pitorro, go ahead and play with it here. It'll add oomph and authenticity to this drink. For a more accessible mix, though, I turned instead to plain-old legal Puerto Rican rum, specifically Ron del Barrilito. (The two-star version will work fine here; save the three-star for sipping.) Ron del Barrilito is one of the oldest Puerto Rican rums still in production, around since the late 19th century and blended at the company's facility in Bayamón, the city where Bad Bunny was born. Some rum purists may turn their noses up at Ron del Barrilito because a small percentage of the final blend is macerated with fruit, nuts and spices.

(Additives in spirits are controversial these days, but the rum is delicious and plays well in this drink.)

Bad Bunny has said he loves desserts with coconut, so even while forgoing that elusive pitorro de coco, I couldn't leave the island's favorite flavor entirely out of this concoction. Coconut is, after all, foundational in two of Puerto Rico's most beloved drinks: the piña colada and the coquito, the delicious, coconut-loaded calorie bomb that may make you turn your nose up at holiday eggnog.

But rather than piling on sweetness with a coconut cream, I went with coconut water: subtly nutty and packed with electrolytes - a drink that shows up more often at the yoga studio than the bar. Its presence is a small nod not only to Mr. Bunny's favorite flavor, but also to the athletic feats unfolding on the screen (and if you find yourself jumping off the couch to dance during the halftime show, that extra hydration won't hurt). The coconut water lengthens the punch, softens the alcohol and adds a whisper of the tropics without tipping into sugared-sunscreen territory.

Finally, that central flavor: During past visits to Puerto Rico, I became a fan of pastelillos de guayaba, a guava pastry that was all over the place at local panaderías and supermarkets, made with a dense, tangy guava paste.

(You can buy Goya's version at lots of grocery stores if you're interested in baking some for the game.)

I've since come to love both the rosy color and the floral, lush flavor of guava in cocktails. Usually I try to find the guava-puree-infused syrup made by Reàl, but if you can't find it, look for guava nectar, widely available in Latin markets and well-stocked supermarkets, or even guava jam, if you're willing to do some serious shaking! These are backup options; they'll work, but you may need to adjust for sweetness.

Pulling this together, I put the guava at the center, then tied the whole thing up with a bright dose of lime juice and the spices of Angostura bitters. (I like a lot of the bitters here, but your mileage may vary. Start with the minimal amount and add more, if you like.) I'm hoping that if people drink enough of this on game night, maybe no one will notice when I accidentally cheer for the water boy.

Guava Coconut Rum Punch

This sunny, game-day crowd-size rum punch nods to Puerto Rico with aged rum, bright lime, coconut and guava syrup. Extra points for using Ron del Barrilito, from music superstar Bad Bunny's birthplace in Bayamón. It's a drink designed for parties, whether on the field or on the dance floor, and can be scaled up for larger groups.

Servings: 12-14 (makes about 8 cups)

Total time: 15 mins, plus 24 hours to freeze the punch ice block

Substitutions: Dried oyster mushrooms >> dried porcini or maitake. Averna >> Ramazzotti

Substitutions: Guava-puree-infused syrup >> guava nectar and simple syrup, adjusting the amounts as needed for a bright, sweet-tart taste.

Notes: To make a 20-percent salt solution, dissolve 20 grams fine salt in 80 grams hot water. Transfer to a clean bottle with a dropper and use as needed. Store at room temperature indefinitely.

Make ahead: If serving in a punch bowl, freeze a block of punch ice at least 24 hours in advance in a large bowl or plastic container. The punch can be made up to 2 hours in advance and refrigerated until needed.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 block punch ice (see Make ahead), plus ice cubes for glasses
• 3 cups aged Puerto Rican rum, such as Ron del Barrilito
• 2 cups fresh lime juice (from about 16 limes)
• 1 1/2 cups coconut water
• 1 1/2 cups Reàl guava puree infused syrup (see Where to buy and Substitutions)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Angostura bitters
• Lime wheels and mint sprigs, for garnish

STEPS

Add the ice block to the punch bowl, followed by the rum, lime juice, coconut water, guava syrup and bitters, to taste. Stir to combine, then garnish with lime wheels and mint sprigs. Serve in ice-filled punch cups or rocks glasses.

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