the Old Sing, so Pipe the Young (1668).
In the early 1600s, punch (paunch, a Hindu word that means “five”) became popular among English sailors and spice merchants who would travel to India and back. While sailing homeward, they would make big bowls of punch with five ingredients, including spirit, lemon, sugar, water, and spice. Punch spread to Britain’s upper class, and it was soon taken to the New World (America). The upper class owned bowls, cups, and ladles made of silver, and records in London’s Central Criminal Court documented many incidents of these items being stolen—most times with the punch still in the bowl!
As for Pilgrims who sought a new life in the New World, life was hard carving out an uncharted land while depending on English ships for supplies. For the most part, settlers were in survival mode, but somehow they found the time and resources to open not one but two rum distilleries. Rum is what funded early America.
Some names of alehouses, pubs, taverns, and inns included Bear at Bridge-foot, Bull and Bush, Bull and Gate, Grapes, Green Dragon Tavern, Hatchet Inn, the Anchor, the Plough, the Red Lion, the Seven Stars, Three Nuns, and Trafalgar Tavern.
Drinking words heard in the 1600s included “admiral of the narrow seas,” “beastly drunk,” “boozed,” “bubbled cap-sick,” “caught a fox,” “D and D” (drunk and disorderly), “dull in the eye,” “elevated,” “giggled up,” “got bread and cheese in one’s head,” “muddled up,” “on a continual drinking merry-go-round,” “on the rampage,” and “seeing double.”
New brands and spirits in the 1600s include Bushmills Irish whiskey, Chartreuse, and Haig Scotch.
Prince’s Day in a Tavern, by Jan Steen, 1660, Dutch painting, oil on panel. Prince’s Day was a birthday celebration in honor of Prince William III of Orange-Nassau (November 14, 1660). © Everett Art / Shutterstock
1608 − Old Bushmills Distillery is established in Ireland. Today it holds the title of the first licensed whiskey distillery in the world.
1620 − The Pilgrims bring brandy and gin with them on the Mayflower to the New World on November 9. The 101 brave colonists live aboard the ship in the winter and supplies run low quickly.
1623 − Jenever is mentioned in the English play The Duke of Milan.
1625 − Haig becomes the first recognized Scotch whisky.
1635 − Portuguese government prohibits the sale of cachaça. The ban is lifted in 1695.
1637 − Distillery equipment is brought to the island of Barbados.
1644 − Distillery equipment is brought to the island of Martinique.
1657 − A rum distillery is built in Boston.
1664 − A rum distillery is built in New York City.
1650 − To save room, Admiral Robert Blake switches beer rations with brandy.
1655 − Vice Admiral William Penn orders rum be included in daily rations.
1660 − Popular and cocky punch maker Billy “Bully” Dawson says, “The man who sees, does, or thinks of anything else while he is making punch may as well look for the Northwest Passage on Mutton Hill. A man can never make good punch unless he is satisfied, nay positive, that no man breathing can make better.”
1668 − In London’s Criminal Court, Thomas Carey is found guilty of stealing punch and its bowl.
1674 − Harvard University builds its own brewhouse.
1676 − When visiting India, physician John Fryer mentions punch that the English make with liquor.
1688 − William of Orange imports jenever from Holland and starts producing British gin.
1691 − Nolet begins to distill in Holland. (They later produce Ketel One Vodka.)
1694 − On Christmas Day, English Navy commander Admiral Edward Russell fills a blue-and-white-tiled fountain with punch and throws a party for 6,000 people in the Spanish port of Cadiz. He hires 800 staff and 1 male child in a boat afloat the punch, serving guests.
1695 − DeKuyker opens a distillery in Holland.
1697 − A fancy British punch bowl is created. They call it Monteith.
1698 − In New Jersey, William Laird begins production of Laird’s applejack for personal use.
1699 − Kenelm Digby published The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, which gives many wine and ale recipes. One recipe in particular is called Cock Ale. Digby says, “These are tame days when we have forgotten how to make Cock Ale.” This ale takes a month to make and boiling a rooster is involved. This is the first known reference to Cock Ale. It is seen later in a couple of 1700s cooking books.
1700s
Colonial America was settling into its new home. By 1700, the population reached 275,000 (with Boston and New York City having the highest populations). In 1700, there also were over 140 rum distilleries in the colonies. By the end of the century, the population reached 5.3 million, of which 1 million was of African descent.
In this century, the colonists struggled to break free of Britain. Examples of the old country not wanting to let loose include the Molasses Act (taxing the rum), the Wool Act, the Iron Act, the Currency Act, the Sugar Act (taxing the rum), the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. This all led to the American Revolution (1775–1783). After breaking off from England, a drink called Sling became popular. It was simply made with a spirit of your choice, sugar, and water. Later, a dash or two of bitters was added making it a Bittered Sling, which was considered a good drink for the morning. These are the exact ingredients for an Old-Fashioned.
The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 was toasted with Madeira. Benjamin Franklin wrote a drinking dictionary, invented bifocals, and discovered electricity. James Hargreaves invented the spinning wheel. American whiskey distilleries began to pop up, the sandwich was invented, and for fun, the hot air balloon took its first flight in 1782. On the other side of the pond, the Industrial Revolution was leading the race in textile production, steam power, and iron making, but losing the battle on gin addiction. This was also the century absinthe was discovered.
Often postal service sections were set up in taverns starting in the mid-1700s. Some names of alehouses, pubs, taverns, and inns included Beetle and Wedge, Bell in Hand Tavern, City Tavern, Fraunces Tavern, Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, Jessop’s Tavern, the Stag and Hounds, the Eagle, the Lamb, the Dirty Duck, the Green Man, the Crown, the Old Ship, the Publik House, Prospect of Whitby, Wiggin’s Tavern, Blue Bell Inn, and O’Malley’s Pub.
Drinking words heard in the 1700s are too many to mention because Benjamin Franklin wrote a 1737 book—by candlelight—titled The Drinker’s Dictionary, which listed over 200 drinking words. Some of these and others include “addled,” “been at Barbados,” “cockadoodled,” “cherry merry,” “cracked,” “cranked,” “clips the King’s English,” “dizzy as a coot,” “drinking like a fish,” “drunk as a wheel barrow,” “fears no man,” “fuddled up,” “full as a goat,” “got a snootful,” “groggy,” “happy juiced,” “head full of bees,” “in the altitudes,” “jacked up,” “jolly,” “juiced
