The Vintage Rum-Spiked Dessert Served On The Titanic Right Before It Sank

Even more than a century later, the story of the Titanic still fascinates people all across the globe. Once thought of as the peak of safe and luxurious travel, it sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, killing roughly two-thirds of the over 2,000 passengers and crew. Before the tragedy struck, first-class guests indulged in some of the era's best food and drink, prepared by highly-trained chefs. Among the last courses to grace their tables was a palate-cleansing dish that falls somewhere between a cocktail and a dessert, known as punch romaine.

Punch à la romaine (translated into English as "Roman punch") likely dates back to 17th-century Italian "limonadiers," who peddled lemonade and frozen concoctions on the streets of Paris. It became popular in the high-end meals of the early 20th century, thanks in part to a recipe by legendary chef Auguste Escoffier.

The dessert itself is prepared more like a cocktail than a sweet treat. Chef-mixologists add egg whites, rum, wine, and citrus juices to a cocktail shaker, sweetened with simple syrup, then shaken until frothy and strained over crushed ice. For an extra hint of luxury, the final product is topped with champagne.

Serving passengers on the world's most famous luxury liner what seems akin to a boozy snowcone might seem odd, but it would have fit right in with the upper-crust travelers. Escoffier was a proponent of frozen courses in high-end dining, including sorbets, granitas (like our strawberry rosé granita recipe), and other dishes that served as both desserts and intermezzos, served between courses as palate cleansers.

Although this dessert-drink combo might seem decadent by modern cruise standards, it's vital to remember that it was only served to first-class passengers and that what was served on the Titanic varied widely by ticket class. First-class passengers enjoyed luxurious entree options ranging from lamb with mint sauce to roast duckling and pâté de foie gras. Second-class passengers had less high-end (but still tasty-sounding) entrees like baked haddock and desserts such as plum pudding. Third-class passengers traveling on the least expensive tickets had to make do with a far more limited menu, a single meal option of roast beef, potatoes, and corn, finished off with plum pudding.

There's no denying the scale of the tragedy of the Titanic's sinking. However, glimpses into the lifestyles of the rich and famous traveling aboard the world's most famous vessel remain captivating to many. With a combination of history, unique flavor, and high-end decadence, punch romaine earned its place as a symbol of the era's unique culinary sensibilities.