George Washington owned a distillery that produced rye. Thomas Jefferson treasured his French wines. The quotable Benjamin Franklin freed generations of pious tipplers of guilt when he declared: “Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
There is no denying the founding fathers not only drank, but openly approved of the pastime. So, on July 4, what better way to honor their memory than by filling up our tankard with something spirituous from the colonial days?
Drinking options were different in 1776, of course. What indigenous spirits America had, like rum and applejack, were on the rough-and-ready side. The working classes mainly indulged in beer and cider, while those who could afford it looked to Europe to slake their thirst, with old-world elixirs like madeira, sherry and Holland gin all popular along the eastern seaboard.
The cocktail as we know it today was not even in its infancy; it was yet a gleam in American drinkers’ eyes. But some mixed drinks were coming into their own.
In his cocktail history Imbibe!, recently published in a new expanded edition, David Wondrich illustrates how the julep found popularity in America even before the the first shots were fired in the revolutionary war, a much earlier debut than previously thought. But in Virginia – where it took root – it was made with rum or brandy, not bourbon as it is today. And it was not built in the highly iced form we are accustomed to.
Rum was employed, too, in the considerably less high-toned Stone Fence, a simple and widespread mix of rum and hard cider. The Stone Fence, in fact, purportedly played a supporting role in the revolutionary war itself, when patriot Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys were able to easily overtake a Fort Ticonderoga commanded by British forces sodden with the drink. No matter that the Stone Fence is technically associated with the enemy in that particular yarn – you can still drink it this holiday weekend and feel patriotic.
Prescription Julep
Most of us today think whiskey when we think of a julep. To split the difference between the old (18th century) and modern (19th century) styles of the drink, try this recipe from 1857, which employs both whiskey and brandy, and adds a dash of rum for good measure.
1 1/2 oz Cognac
1/2 oz rye whiskey
Fresh mint leaves
Barspoon rich simple syrup (2:1)
Barspoon dark rum
Combine the mint leaves and syrup in the bottom of a chilled silver julep cup and gently muddle the leaves. Add crushed ice until the glass is one-third full. Add the Cognac and rye and stir. Add more ice. Stir again, until the sides of the cup frost over. Top with the remainder of crushed ice. Top mounded ice with a barspoon of dark rum. Garnish with a large sprig of mint. Add straw.
Stone Fence
If you really want to be era-correct with this drink, use dark rum, as the colonists would have. But over the beverage’s long period of popularity, people made Stone Fences with applejack, whiskey and probably anything else they could lay their hands to. You should do the same. You’ve got your freedom, after all.
2 oz dark rum, applejack or whiskey
Hard cider
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add your spirit of choice. Top with cider.
