Fish House Punch

Philadelphia summers are hot. Air conditioning certainly helps, but in the middle of the 1700s, a century and a half before it was invented, alternative cooling methods had to be employed. Enter Fish House Punch. In 1732, Philadelphia saw the founding of the State in Schuylkill Fishing Corporation, a fishing club for some of its elite. They built a clubhouse on the edge the Schuylkill (pronounced “Skookul”) River and fiddled around with punch recipes until they settled on an official one. Apparently, these guys really knew what they were doing. The club is still functional, and their punch is still delicious. Like other punch recipes, this would've originally been mixed up in a substantial quantity in a punch bowl and served to a large group. This stuff is so tasty you might be inclined to drink the whole bowl yourself. Watch out though. This punch is mighty potent.