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Artillery Punch
On Dec. 4 at the Feast of Saint Barbara it is traditional to conduct the 'punch ceremony'. Starting with a bottle of last
year's punch, ingredients are added one by one in a theatrical fashion, with
humor and imagination creating the list of ingredients. The battery
commander tastes the punch after each ingredient is added, and keeps saying
'it's not quite right, something is missing' until all the ingredients are
added and stirred. once the concoction is satisfactory, all the
artillerymen dip their tin cups into the punch and toast one another until
there is only enough punch to fill the bottle for next year's ceremony.
Here's a page that has the history of St. Barbara and an
account of the ceremony:
http://wesclark.com/jw/barbara.html
You don't have to wait for Dec. 4 to enjoy this excellent
punch.
Here are a few recipes to spark your imaginations:
The recipe, which was kept jealously secret for years and
was unobtainable by an outsider, is presented here together with the
relevant historical dates.
The punch originated with the Chatham Artillery, Savannah, Ga., and
has been served in that city for almost 200 years. It is delicious, seductive,
powerful.
The Chatham Artillery was organized in 1786. The earliest
mention of their punch, however, was in 1819, when it was considered a
worthy refreshment for President James Monroe, who was in Savannah, GA, for
the launching of the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
This is the punch that knocked out Admiral Schley when he visited Savannah
in 1899 after the Spanish War. Admiral Cervera's Spanish shells were
harmless to the brave American admiral, but Artillery Punch scored a direct
hit which put him out for two days.
It was reported that the drink slices down the throat smoothly and
innocently with a pleasing taste.
The drink, however, reacts like a salvo of
a 12-inch gun.
For 100 People (Or
Ten Admirals)
- 1 1/2 gallons catawba wine
- 1/2 gallon rum
- 1 quart gin
- 1 quart brandy
- 1/2 pint Benedictine
- 2 quarts Maraschino cherries
- 1 1/2 quarts rye whiskey
- 1 1/2 gallons strong tea
- 2 1/2 pounds brown sugar
- 1 1/2 quarts orange juice
- 1 1/2 quarts lemon juice
Mix from 36 to 48 hours (or several weeks) before serving. Add one case of champagne when ready
to serve.
The Chatham Artillery is the oldest
military organization of record in Georgia. Organized May 1, 1786, their
first official duty was to pay tribute at the funeral of General Nathaniel
Greene.
When George Washington visited Savannah, May 12, 1792, the Chatham Artillery
saluted him with 26 discharges from their fields pieces. The company found
such favor in the President's eyes that shortly the company received the
gift of the "Washington Guns" captured at York town, October 19, 1781.
The Washington Guns were fired to salute President James Monroe when he
visited Savannah in May 1819 for the launching of the S.S. Savannah, the
first steamship to cropss the Atlantic.
These occasions were undoubtedly celebrated with Chatham Artillery Punch. No
one is sure how the heady concoction originated but Chatham Artillery
members believe that gentle ladies made up the first beverage. Then one by
one officers of the Artillery sneaked in and added this and that, thus
creating Savannah's most noted drink in two centuries.
Artillery punch
A special report from
The Velociman:
Chatham Artillery Punch
How was my brother's wedding? Stupor duper. The reception
was well-lubricated by an ample supply of Chatham Artillery Punch. So much
so that I booty-danced with Puddyhead whilst we both wore bird masquerade
masks. More on that another day.
Yes, my brother was wise enough to whip up a couple of gallons of my
mother's signature Artillery Punch recipe. This stuff tastes like Kool-Ade,
and humbles mere moonshine in neuron destruction.
The history: in colonial days the Chatham Artillery would have balls, as
people with fancy uniforms are wont to do. The women would serve up punch,
and the men would surreptitiously tipple their flasks into the punchbowl;
hence the variegated nature of the Punch. Six liquors, wine, fruit, especial
ingredients. Steeped for six weeks minimum, and served with champagne,
freshly added.
My mother had an old recipe which she had tweaked a bit. Being a quite
modest drinker, she had no reason to question the potency of the concoction.
So every year at her Christmas party she would serve up the Punch. Her
social circle basically consisted of Episcopalian movers and shakers, and it
was always a pleasure to watch the old hens and jurists attempt to maneuver
their stoles and suitcoats and land yachts as they struggled to figure out
what mule had kicked them in the head.
From a tort point of view it was dangerous stuff, but we certainly enjoyed
it. I personally nearly broke my neck performing an unintended almost
one and a half gainer off my mother's deck after 3 cups of the poison. I
have seen single women kiss my priest in front of his wife, old men stick
their tongues down The Bride's throat, insane grab-ass on an unparallelled
scale (often by me) at my mother's parties after this Punch was deployed.
All with great Anglican harumphing. My poor mother knew not what she
wrought.
And so I was pleased, and infused with great nostalgia, when my brother went
out of his way to produce the prime brew for his own wedding. From the
original recipe. What a bro. He pleases me. My younger brother was pleased
as well. He loves to watch me drink this stuff. Lookee: I ended up in
an all-black daquiri bar at 1:30am with my niece and nephew after the
reception, trying to purchase a Denny's Slam. Grist for the mill.
And so: I will mix the greatest batch of Chatham Artillery Punch ever for
the Spring Blogfest. Let us compare the effect to good old corn liquor. I am
a prescient person. I predict a bit of mayhem. And I'll be the guy dressed
as an Anglican priest.
Chatham Artillery Punch: Elegance, and Dead Dicks
Brilliance, or Madness? I think I shall prepare a batch of
Chatham Artillery Punch for the Wreckyll in Jekyll. I have no qualms
with corn squeeze. Hell, moonshine makes da world go round, but we are
supposed to be Respectables at Jekyll, at least until check-in. So I'll
bring some Episcopalian Moonshine. Maybe only a mudbucket's worth. It DOES
take six weeks minimum to make, so you have to make it in sizeable
quantities. Cheer me on. Mom's recipe. Two hundred years of goodness. Yar.
We need a punchbowl of ineffable valuelessness. In other words, something
Zonker can wear on his head between batches, and we won't care when he falls
down and breaks it. DO NOT bring yo mama's fine stuff.
Here is a half-assed recipe for the Punch, to give you
an idea. Mine is a bit more involved, shall we say:
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 gallons catawba wine
- 1/2 gallon rum
- 1 quart gin
- 1 quart brandy
- 1/2 pint Benedictine
- 2 quarts Maraschino cherries
- 1 1/2 quarts rye whiskey
- 1 1/2 gallons strong tea
- 2 1/2 pounds brown sugar
- 1 1/2 quarts orange juice
- 1 1/2 quarts lemon juice
Mix from 36 to 48 hours before serving. Add one case of champagne when
ready to serve.
......................................................................................
 Courtesy
of my great-grandfather. This is wicked strong, but goes down easy. It's
one of those drinks where there's no way-station between the
exhilarating flush of your first glass and blacking out. The base keeps
indefinitely and even improves with age. I made it for a party once at
which the whole recipe got drunk well before 3 am. There were
about 200 people there, though. Chatham Artillery Punch
1 lb. gunpowder green tea
2 gallons cold water
3 gallons catawba wine, or substiture Sauternes (I didn't say this was
going to be cheap)
1 gallon St. Croix rum
1 gallon Hennessy brandy
1 gallon rye whiskey
1 gallon gin
5 lbs brown sugar
2 qts. cherries
juice of 2 dozen oranges
juice of 2 dozen lemons
Let the tea stand overnight in the water. Strain. Mix juices,
cherries and tea (preferably in a cedar tub)*. Add sugar and booze and
stir. Let sit about one week, covered; then strain out cherries. Just
before serving, mix over blocks of ice with 12 quarts dry champagne.
*No, I don't have a cedar tub either. It has ocurred to me that you
could put in a few clean cedar shingles of the type one can make planked
salmon on; they sell those in kitcheny stores sometimes. I've only made
this a few times and never tried that, though.
......................................................................................
For a smaller batch:
Artillery Punch
Categories: Beverages, Alcohol
Yield: 25 servings
1 qt Strong black tea
1 qt Rye whiskey
1 Bottle red wine (26oz)
1 pt Jamaica rum
1/2 pt Brandy
1 Jigger Benedictine
1 pt Orange juice
1/2 pt Lemon juice
Combine all the ingredients in a large punch bowl with a block of ice. If
found too dry, sugar syrup may be added. Decorate with twists of lemon
peel. Makes 25-30 cups.
....................................................................
Coast Artillery Punch
A recipe found by Elliot Deutsch.
Ingredients:
1 quart Rum
1 quart Sherry or Gin
1 pint Brandy
1-2 quarts Tea
1/4 to 1/2 pounds Sugar
2 Oranges
2 Lemons
1 quart Champagne
Instructions:
Mix rum, sherry, brandy, tea, and sugar.
Juice the oranges and lemons, grate lemon peels and add.
Chill with ice.
Just before serving, add champagne.
Enjoy immediately.
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