Fish House Punch goes hand in hand with the history of the United States. It’s a cocktail born before the War of Independence, created within a gentlemen’s club of wealthy members who shared a certain disdain for British rule. And it’s said to have been the favorite drink of George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Founding Father, and first President of the United States.
The History of Fish House Punch
Let’s travel back in time to the first half of the 18th century. The setting is the land between the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, now part of Pennsylvania. In 1732, twenty-eight men founded the Schuylkill Fishing Company, which initially functioned as a self-governed colony and later as a sovereign state. Historians tell us it had its own navy and army—not exactly formidable forces, though: its pride and joy consisted of two boats and a cannon. Nothing more.
The Schuylkill Fishing Company was, in essence, an exclusive club. And it was here that Fish House Punch is believed to have originated. Or at least, the evidence points in that direction—even if definitive proof is still lacking.
Women, Ambassadors, and Giant Bowls
Who created the cocktail, where, and when are all questions that remain unanswered. What is certain is that the earliest confirmed sightings of Fish House Punch are within the walls of the Schuylkill Fishing Company. Some sources claim it was invented in 1848 by Shippen Willing for the club’s first Christmas banquet to which women were invited. Unfortunately, no record of that punch’s ingredients has survived.
Other sources trace the first written mention to 1744, when William Black,a member of a visiting delegation from Virginia, was welcomed at the Schuylkill bank with a lemon punch served in a bowl “large enough to swim half a dozen young geese.” Whether or not this was the same punch served in 1848 is unclear, but many believe it was, even though Mr. Black never refers to it as Fish House Punch.
Many Recipes, Few Certainties
With drinks of such distant origin, it’s often impossible to recover the original recipe. A charming theory involves Elizabeth Goodfellow (1767–1851), founder of one of the first cooking schools in the United States. Her punch, it seems, matched the one served at the Schuylkill Fishing Company.
Others believe the Fish House Punch followed the formula recorded by Jerry Thomas in the first edition of his Bar-Tender’s Guide (1862): lemon juice, sugar, water, peach brandy, cognac, and rum—without the oranges, strawberries, and pineapple suggested by Goodfellow. Thomas stated that he received the ingredients and proportions from Charles G. Leland, an American journalist and folklorist born in 1824 and deceased in 1903.
To complicate things further, some insist the original Schuylkill punch didn’t contain peach brandy at all. Which would rule out both the Thomas and the Goodfellow versions. So far, the mystery remains unresolved.
The Fish House Punch Recipe
Below is the version credited to Jerry Thomas and Charles G. Leland. In the Bar-Tender’s Guide, it appears under the name Philadelphia Fish-House Punch. The peach brandy mentioned was likely barrel-aged. One of the ingredients is a “mixture” prepared with 240 ml cognac, 120 ml peach brandy, and 120 ml Jamaican rum. These proportions are suitable for sharing among a small group of guests.
Ingredients
- 480 ml “mixture”
- 160 ml lemon juice
- 1200 ml cold water
- 340 g white sugar
Method
In a large punch bowl, combine sugar and water and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Then add the spirit blend and lemon juice. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. If no fridge is available, add a large block of ice—this will cool the punch with minimal dilution.
Garnish
None prescribed by Jerry Thomas, but lemon peels work nicely. Or add some seasonal fruit in homage to Goodfellow’s version.
Images credits of Julie Couder x Coqtail – Location: Ceresio 7. All rights reserved.
