Fishing for a good punch

As my birthday nears (a big one), I thought it would be appropriate to post a recipe that to me immediately signifies a celebration: a punch. And not just any punch. It has been served at birthdays, New Year’s and Halloween bashes, doctoral-exam-passing bacchanalia, and so forth. However, little did my housemates and I know that, for several years, the festive punch we were pouring at our parties was an ancient one. Well, ancient in America. One of my old housemates recently asked for this recipe and I decided to do some digging on its history. Sure enough, it’s legendary.

Eric Felton of the Wall Street Journal reports that Fish House Punch is the official drink of the oldest club in America, Philadelphia’s Schuykill Fishing Company (also known as State in Schuykill), having been served there since 1732 and apparently a favorite of George Washington. While accounts of the original secret recipe are many and varied, Felton offers one in his article, which calls for dark Jamaican rum, cognac, peach-flavored brandy, lemon juice, simple syrup, and water. Esquire’s is similar, but nicely provides a recipe for an individual serving. Then again, who really plans to make only one? These recipes and their proportions don’t quite line up with the one I know, but they’re close. Still though, I will share the recipe passed down to me, one that includes tea. Save it for a good day. Like my birthday.

Fish House Punch

makes 12 to 24  servings

12 lemons

1 liter strong black tea

2 cups sugar (or equivalent simple syrup) or 2 cups honey

1 cup Southern Comfort

1 liter dark rum

½ liter brandy

½  liter soda water

Peaches, oranges, and lemons, thinly sliced

Juice the lemons and thinly slice the peels. In a large pan, heat the tea. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Add the Southern Comfort, rum, and brandy, and stir well. While the mixture is simmering, add the lemon juice and peels. If serving hot, ladle into small heat-resistant cups. If serving cold, refrigerate overnight. Pour into a large punch bowl, add the soda water, and garnish with fruit slices. Or pour into an infusion jar with spigot, add fruit slices and soda water, and serve on ice.

Another version without tea (serves 30):

In punch bowl or infusion jar, combine one of each of the following: 750-ml bottle chilled light rum, 750-ml bottle chilled dark rum, 750-ml bottle chilled cognac. Add 1 cup of peach brandy, ¾ cup simple syrup, 3 cups fresh lime juice. Before serving, add large blocks of ice and pour in 2 liters of chilled club soda. Add slices of 1 orange,1 lemon, and several mint sprigs.