This month’s Mixology Monday theme is Forgotten Cocktails. Host Dennis at Rock & Rye has challenged folks “…to bring to light a drink that you think deserves to be resurrected from the past, and placed back into the spotlight. It could be pre-prohibition, post-war, that horrible decade known as the 80′s, it doesn’t really matter. As long as it is somewhat obscure, post it up.”
Returning to the story – way back in ye olde yonder, a bunch of well to-do, proto-plutocrats in Philadelphia started what is the oldest private club in the country, replete with a “castle” clubhouse along the Schuylkill River, christening it the “State in Schuylkill Fishing Corporation”, or the more common Schuylkill Fishing Company. The original club was established under a treaty with the local Native American tribe and limited to 25 members, since increased to a wopping 30. The club’s activities were pretty simple and continue to this day – Catch some fish. Cook some fish (and meat). Drink some hooch. Members do all the cooking and rumor is they pay their rent in fish.
Their house punch was a closely guarded secret. An early recipe appears in “Professor” Jerry Thomas “How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion” published in 1862, followed by a slightly different one in the Philadelphia Times in 1896. Charles H. Baker, Jr. in his 1939 “Gentleman’s Companion”claims the original as well. Regardless, the recipes all seem to involve similar ingredients in varying proportions: lemon, sugar, water, rum, cognac, peach brandy. A fairly basic punch recipe provided a twist with the addition of the peach brandy. Most recipes referring to “peach brandy” usually assume a creme de peche or peach liqueur – but I wonder how one of the new school peach eau de vie’s would taste? Experiments might need to follow.
Its really quite tasty with a subtle wallop – you’ll quickly drain your punch glass and before you know it, you just might convince yourself that you too, could someday own a yacht.
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
2 quarts water
1 quart lemon juice
2 quarts dark rum
1 quart cognac
4 ounces peach brandy
Single serving:
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
2 ounces spring water
1 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces dark Jamaican rum
1 ounce cognac
1/8 ounce peach brandy
Stir with ice and strain into punch cup over ice.
Garnish with lemon wheel.
Recipe courtesy of Dave Wondrich.
What did you use for peach brandy? Real peach brandy is only being made again (fruit fermented, distilled, and barrel-aged like Calvados) and hasn’t hit the market yet. Which leaves peach liqueur or Creme de Peche — the former is potent and sometimes fake tasting and the latter can be beautiful but subtle so it can get lost in the punch.
I used Edmond Briottet’s Creme de Peche de Vigne. Not sure what the distribution is like where you are, but in the Bay Area, Old World Spirits (Belont, CA) makes an Indian Blood Peach eau de vie – its aged in oak, but for only several months, not years. Haven’t tried it yet though.
Tried the Fish House Punch using the Kuchan O’Henry Peach Eau de Vie (Old World Spirits – Belmont, CA). Have to say – it kicks butt. Much drier than using the Creme de Peche, but still with a peach undertone to the punch. Overall profile was closer to the other historical punches I’ve been making from the Wondrich book. Mmmm…
[…] at The Barman Cometh would like to encourage us to revisit the Fish House Punch. One of the best punches I have had for […]