Join us at Windsor Historical Society on Friday, December 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. to discover and sample colonial drinks popular in New England.
You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that our area was awash in ales, beers, wines, and spirits during the 17th and 18th centuries. Everyone from teenage farm workers to our founding fathers imbibed heartily and often. Ring in the holidays with an exploration of the origins and tastes of some of the favorite beverages of early Americans.
Ever heard of flip, a surprisingly delicious concoction of beer, rum, eggs, maple syrup, and light cream heated with a red-hot poker? Syllabub? (It’s a wine-based drink flavored with lemon, sugar, vanilla, and whipped heavy cream.) How about rattle-skull made with beer, rum, lime, and nutmeg?
Learn more about the origins of these drinks from the Society’s education and outreach coordinator John Mooney. Then visit four sampling stations including the keeping room of the Society’s Strong-Howard House to see the drinks made, and for samples of these mostly-forgotten but tasty beverages. Recipes will be provided, as will a variety of snacks and a non-alcoholic mulled cider.
$15 adults, $14 members. 21 and over only.
Photo by Bill Hosley.