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: Ideas
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 …
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 …
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 …
The Scourge of Slavery (#7) — Lord Dunmore Weaponizes Slavery
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, enslaved Africans and African Americans in British North America and the United States staged hundreds of revolts. Slave uprisings were daring, desperate, and inevitably doomed. The first known slave rebellion in one of England’s American colonies took place in Gloucester County, Virginia in 1663. The Servants Plot, as it was known, …
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The Regimental Brewmeister does “Talks” as well as brewing demonstrations.
The Regimental Brewmeister is happy to give talks and lectures at your site to audiences of any size. I ask that you provide appropriate auto visual projection equipment and event promotion. I typically come in 18th Century attire and conduct interactive discussions. While I am happy to consider talks on other subjects, I have delivered …
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Join the Regimental Brewmeister
People are always welcome to come to my events and if you come in 18th Century kit, you can be part of the program or just hang out in the tent as you see fit. However, if you are truly interested in really learning the process, teaching the public, and being the brewer, you should …
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 …
Hot Toddy
The traditional hot toddy formula is simple: Start with a hot cup of tea, add lemon and honey, then a bit of whiskey. This is certain to make even the worst cold feel just a little better. The toddy is believed to have been invented in Scotland sometime in the eighteenth century. It was a …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 