The History of Fish-House Punch -  A National Treasure

In 1732 a group of 28 Quakers who were followers of William Penn (as in, Penn-slyvania) founded a fishing/social club which met on the banks of the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia. They called themselves the Colony of Schuylkill (colony was used first because these were the Pre-Revolutionary War days. Postwar they followed suit with the other colonies and began referring to themselves as a State.).  Initially, the group’s activities were organized around the annual shad run up the river.  That is, until damming stunted their annual migration.  

But no matter, they had other means of occupying their time.  One of the club's primary pursuits took place once every other week during the summer when they would convene at their Fish House - or the castle, as they called it - to collectively prepare and consume a gargantuan feast, lubricated by their signature punch, served in an equally gargantuan bowl. 

Over time, some of those who were invited to partake in these proceedings - which reportedly included George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, as well as a host of other colonial celebrities - spread the word of the exceptionally tasty and mysteriously deadly Fish-House Punch they encountered there.  Recipes for it began to appear in newspapers, then books, and over time as legend grew, the punch gained widespread popularity.  

The State still exists today, though they’ve dispatched with the fishing and hunting, and just eat and drink together.  Back in 1905, the New York Times ran an article on the club calling the State in Schuylkill the “Oldest Dining Club in the World ”. But don't get too excited, as of 2005, it’s reportedly next to impossible to get into. 

Connecting to the Past

I’ve been enamored with the idea of having Fish-House Punch on patriotic U.S. holidays ever since I heard that Dave Wondrich serves it at his annual 4th of July party (also at that party the guests apparently pass around the Declaration of Independence, taking turns reading it aloud. Amazing.). 

But this has also made me ask the question, what makes the signature drink of a club full of old rich white guys so Patriotic?  Well for one, many of its members had some solid Patriotic cred - Samuel Morris for example, who served as the State’s “Governor" from 1776 until 1812, the year he died - was also a soldier in the revolutionary war.   But for me, it’s less about the State or its citizens - with all due respect to them of course.  Rather it's about a continuous tradition that’s as old as America itself.  I like the idea that back in 1776 someone was sitting in a tavern getting pleasantly inebriated on a glass of Fish-House Punch, who was hopeful and fearful about the future of his nation, just as I am today.  And while the reasons for our hopes and worries may be different, it's comforting to think that what’s in our glasses is not.  Some things, like cocktail recipes, never change.