Chatham Artillery Punch facts for kids

Chatham Artillery Punch is a very strong and famous drink. It's a type of punch that mixes different kinds of alcohol like rum, whisky, brandy, and Champagne. It also has lemons and sugar. This special punch is named after the Chatham Artillery, a military group from Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is a city in Chatham County.

The Story Behind the Punch

The exact story of how Chatham Artillery Punch was created is not fully known. There are a few interesting legends about it.

Early Legends

One old story says that George Washington himself was given this punch in 1792. He was visiting the Chatham Artillery group. After trying the punch, he was so pleased that he gave the group two cannons!

A more likely story appeared in a newspaper called the Augusta Chronicle in 1885. It said the punch was first made in the 1850s. This was when a group called the Republican Blues came back from a drill. The Chatham Artillery welcomed them with this new punch. The story says the punch was made by mixing brandy, whiskey, rum, Champagne, lemon, and sugar in a large bucket with crushed ice. Everyone who drank it felt very sleepy and happy.

Famous People Try the Punch

In 1870, a group of journalists from the Southern states had a meeting in Savannah. They were served the punch on a riverboat trip. They also felt very sleepy and happy after drinking it. They wrote about their experience, and the punch became famous across the country. Even President Chester Arthur was said to have tried the drink and found it very strong.

In 1900, Admiral George Dewey, a war hero from the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay, also tried the punch. He too felt very sleepy after drinking it. Later, one recipe for the punch was even named after him.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, the recipe for Chatham Artillery Punch was changed to be less strong. In 1907, someone wrote that "Experience has taught the rising generation to modify the receipt of their forefathers to conform to the weaker constitutions of their progeny." This means people decided to make it less potent for newer generations.

After a time when alcohol was not allowed in the United States (called Prohibition) ended in the late 1930s, the punch became popular again. New recipes were published, sometimes including different types of alcohol like scotch or gin. Some even left out the Champagne.

Another legend says that during the American Civil War, when General Sherman marched through Georgia, the people of Savannah gave him so much of this punch that he decided not to attack the city.

What's in the Punch?

Many recipes for Chatham Artillery Punch use Santa Cruz rum. However, it's thought that the original recipe probably used a heavier, darker rum. Also, a type of wine called Catawba wine is hard to find today. So, people often use white wine or Champagne instead.

In the 1997 movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the punch is described as "three parts fruit, seven parts liquor — whatever's available on both counts." This shows how flexible the recipe can be.

How to Make It

To make the punch, you can take lemon peels and mix them with sugar. This helps to get the oils from the lemon peels. Then, you add this mixture to lemon juice and strain it.

Next, you put the lemon-sugar mixture into a large bowl with crushed ice. You then add brandy, rum, whiskey, and Champagne. Sometimes, people also add candied cherries and their juice, even though this might not be part of the original recipe. Some modern recipes also include gin.

Different Kinds of Punch

There are a few variations of this punch.

Champagne Punch

One variation is called Champagne Punch. This version is less strong. It uses Curaçao or Cointreau (which are orange-flavored liqueurs), a few drops of bitters, fresh strawberries, lemon, simple syrup, brandy, and Champagne. It's a popular drink at Wedding receptions and Christmas parties.

Similar Drinks

There are other similar strong punches. One is called Regent's Punch, which is popular along the East Coast of the United States. Another is the Fish House Punch, found in the Northeast United States.