What do you do when the head of state, is defined by absolutism and endless wars; who uses religion as a battering ram to subdue his opposition; who undermines the constitution, bypasses and ignores the legislature; and when deposed, attempts to regain power through a violent overthrow of the government? Well, naturally, you have a revolution! For those of you caught in today’s news cycle, I am not talking about the USA, but rather the “United Kingdom of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England of 1688 (although, I might point out the current head of the House of Orange is also named Willem!).
Now, of course, any revolution is an act of treason (if you lose) and where best should you plan a revolution – why the bar, of course. When the Whigs of England wanted to install a Hanoverian Protestant King and depose James II, they naturally met at the Kit Kat Club. The origin of the name “Kit-Cat Club” is unclear, but the most credible sources relate the name of the club to the name of its proprietor, Christopher Catling, of the pie house where the club frequently met. A common nickname for Christopher at the time was “Kit” – hence “Kit Catt”. Catt was the keeper of a pie-house near the Temple Bar at Fleet Street and Shire Lane. His famous mutton pies (“Kit’s Kats”) were named after him and formed a standing dish at meetings of the club, and the drink of note was Sir John Vanbrugh’s Cup – a punch made with mead, mulled wine, and spices.
The Whig party was named from the Scottish word for cattle drivers—Whiggamore; and they named their opposition Tories after the Irish Gaelic word tóraidhe, meaning “outlaw,” or “robber.” This split traces back to the three ‘Exclusion Parliaments’ of 1679-81. Whigs supported the rights enshrined in the Magna Carta; whereas Tories focused on the divine rights of the Kings and the Church. The Whigs and Tories of 1679-85 are seen as the first political parties in England and these two groups will fight for dominance in Parliament over the three centuries.
The objectives of the Whigs were to restore a strong Parliament, limit the power and purse of the monarchy, prevent further political interference from France[1], root out corruption and bribery in the Monarch, and ensure a Protestant successor to the throne. In order to achieve these ends, they sought to depose James II, and the house of Stuart, and replace him with his daughter, Mary II, and her husband William of Orange. This “Glorious Revolution” set up the Hanoverian dynasty – George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, and Victoria, which will rule the British Empire until Victoria’s death in 1901 when the crown passed to her son Edward VII, who belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later renamed Windsor) through his father, Prince Albert.
Sir John Vanbrugh’s Cup is the true Punch of British Kings.
Sir John Vanbrugh’s Cup (mead punch) Recipe:
- 1 L strong mead
- 1 L spiced rum
- 1 L orange juice
- 1 L tawney port
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- zest of 1 orange
Served hot by heating each glass with a toddy rod.
[1] France supported the deposed King Stuart following his defeat at Culloden.
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/
