Early American settlers enjoyed fortifying their drinks. Stone fences mix hard cider and rum, shrubs mix wine with switchel, rattleskulls mix rum with beer, and the coo woo even fortifies brandy with rum.  Rum, whiskey, and other spirits were staple goods produced to help farmers ship bulky products like corn and sugar to distant markets.  By fermenting these then distilling them down to concentrated spirits, it was easier to move a harvest of barley or corn over the mountains to coastal (and beyond) markets.  These spirits also softened the bite of a cold winter night and in an age before modern medicine offered some relief from the daily aches and pains.

The Hawthorne Fence is not actually a historic beverage.  As best I can determine, there were no taverns who routinely mixed spirits with mead.  Mead was a rare product as honey is infinitely shelf stable and already very valuable in its native form.   That said, I invented the Hawthorne Fence as a “colonial style” cocktail and it, like the cocktails above, involves fortifying mead with rum then adding a few spices and a bit of heat.  It has a caramel undertone and a refreshing, crisp taste with a bit of sweetness and a tart aftertaste.  The mead provides a fruity, slightly sour base, the rum and sugar add warmth and depth, the lemon adds a little tartness, and the spices tie the whole thing together to make a truly wonderful experience. The result is a well-rounded, easy-drinking cocktail that is perfect for any occasion.

Recipe:

• 1 pint simple mead (like Battle of the Bees)
• 1 gil dark rum
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 jack lemon juice
• Dash of allspice

Start by heating a loggerhead in the fire.  In a metal tankard, mix the mead, rum, sugar, and lemon juice together.  Sprinkle allspice over the top.  When the loggerhead is very hot (ideally red hot), plunge it into the drink and stir until it stops sizzling.  Decant the drink into a serving glass and enjoy while still hot.

---

Want to have the
Regimental Brewmeister
at your site or event?

You can hire me.

https://colonialbrewer.com/yes-you-can-hire-me-for-your-event-or-site/