For the last several years, we have run a very successful program on 18th Century brewing in and around Philadelphia. This year, however, one of my favorite venues hit me with a special request. “… mix things up a bit. Rather than a whole brewing workshop, what if we called it ‘Holiday Spirits with the Regimental Brewmeister’ and we make a few punch or cocktail recipes, with samples of course.” Hum, well that’s a different twist because cocktails in the 18th Century are nothing like the gentile drinks you have at the airport before your flight, they are complex, include very different ingredients and are mixed in a very different manner. But I love a challenge.
So, this book is my research for the new event at Fort Mifflin which we will run on 11/25 (Black Powder Friday). Like Beer and Beer Stories by the Regimental Brewmeister (ISBN 979-8595018135), it’s meant to be a hands-on experience. Read a bit then try out some of these ideas. That will bring you back to reading and researching the cocktail culture of fine homes and high-end taverns of Colonial America.
Enjoy
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 