Fish House Punch
A historic Philadelphia punch of rum, cognac, peach, lemon, sugar, and tea or water.
Base spirit
Rum
Style
Punch
Glassware
Punch cup
Technique
Build
Fish House Punch is America’s most famous colonial-era punch: rum and cognac with peach brandy or peach liqueur, lemon, sugar, and cold black tea or water. It is built to batch, serve from a bowl, and drink slowly. A single-serve version keeps the same balance for modern hosting.
Ingredients
Servings
- • 1 oz aged rum
- • 1 oz cognac
- • 0.5 oz peach brandy or peach liqueur
- • 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
- • 0.5 oz simple syrup
- • 1 oz cold black tea
Did you know?
“Created at Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Fishing Company (the Fish House) in the 18th century, the punch was notorious for polite strength.”
Source:Schuylkill Fishing Company histories; American punch scholarship
Bartender's Note
Peach brandy is traditional; peach liqueur works. Brew tea strong and cool it before mixing. Scale freely for a bowl.
Missing a bottle? See smart swaps in Learn.
How to make the Fish House Punch
- 1Build all ingredients over ice in a punch cup or rocks glass (or combine in a bowl with a large ice block)
- 2Stir
- 3Garnish with lemon and mint
