Elections in the 18th Century were festive. Food and drink were provided to voters to encourage both turn-out (often 85 percent of the eligible voters[1] participated). Songs were sung and GALLONS of rum punch were consumed. Prior to Prohibition, handing out drinks in order to woe voters was common. When Washington entered politics for the …
Category Archives: General history
Schuylkill Fish House Punch
Fish House Punch is an alcoholic drink consisting mainly of rum. The first mention of Fish House Punch — though not yet by that name — may be in the notes of William Black, the secretary of the embassy of Virginia Commissioners who visited Philadelphia in 1744. He recounted being met by locals on the …
Dirty Business and Politics are Often Bedfellows
We all think of Benjamin Franklin as a grandfatherly type who invented and published things, sort of that eccentric neighbor who was everyone’s friend, but there was a ruthless side to Franklin. In 1728, a printer named Samuel Keimer founded the Pennsylvania Gazette, the second newspaper ever printed in the colony. It did not do …
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Black Tea Punch
Punch was introduced from the Indian subcontinent to England by employees of the East India Company in the late 17th century. The original drink was named paantsch from Hindi पाँच (pāñć), meaning “five,” as the drink was frequently made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, juice from either a lime or a lemon, water, and spices …
The Spice Trade – Nutmeg, Mace, and Cloves
Okay, we are deep in the Pumpkin Spice season. It’s not safe to order a cup of coffee lest you get dragged into the Anglo-Dutch Wars. I like nutmeg and spices a lot but I think I would rather have Manhattan but the Dutch choose to keep the Maluku Islands and their special spice – …
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Warm Mulled Beer
Historically, Beer was rarely served cold. Sure “Ice Cold Beer’ from the perspective of the 21th Century seems normal. Today, beer drinkers mindlessly plunge beer into arctic-like baths of ice with hardly a thought, but why? People drink both hot and ice tea, hot and ice coffee, and hot and cold chocolate milk; why not …
Historical Tidbits — Fort Washington taken by British
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. November 16, 1776 Fort Washington taken by British After winning a major victory on Long Island the British began to move against Manhattan in mid-September. Unwilling to abandon New York …
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Historical Tidbits — Articles of Confederation
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. November 15, 1777 – Articles of Confederation, the first US Constitution, is passed on this date in 1777. Two days later, the Continental Congress sent the Articles to the …
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The Great Beer Flood of London
In 1814 the Meux Brewery of London experienced the catastrophic failure of a 120,000 gallon beer aging tank. The tank released almost all the beer instantly and the surge burst the walls of the brewhouse. Spilling into the street the flood killed 8 people “..by drowning, poisoning, by fumes and drunkenness.” As beer flowed down …
Dangers of “Cold Small Beer”
Next time you think about cracking a can of Budweiser, consider this tale from 1724. An unusual grave marker located in Winchester Cathedral, UK. A memorial to Thomas Thetcher who died on the 12th of May in 1764, in part it reads that he “…died of a violent fever contracted by drinking Small Beer when …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 