A social club formed by a group of Quakers in 1732 in the modern-day Andalusia neighborhood of Bensalem inspired George Washington’s favorite cocktail, writes Jen Peng for Tasting Table.  

On the land leased from the Lenni-Lenape tribe, the group of Quakers established the Colony in Schuylkill, otherwise known as the Fish House. The name spoke for itself, and the club mostly partook in fishing, eating, and drinking.  

Their drink of choice was the Fish House Punch, and Washington was reported to enjoy it whenever he visited.  

Washington reportedly had so many punches after one visit that he was unable to write in his diary for three days.  

While it is undetermined what the original recipe entails, the official website of Mount Vernon, the historic home that belonged to George and Martha Washington, says that it includes Jamaican rum, peach brandy, cognac brandy, lemon juice, sugar, and water.  

Read more about Andalusia’s Colony in Schuylkill and its cocktail concoction in Tasting Table.  

Philadelphia Fish House Punch, an early cocktail staple!