• Tomato Wine

    “If the Tomato be as highly medicinal as it has been represented, it may be anticipated that this wine will find favor with the public.” – Milwaukee Sentinal, June 1840 Interspersed with the shrubs, the cherry bounce, eggnog and Fish House Punch in 19th-century Maryland cookbooks are some of the most intriguing and intimidating recipes:…

  • Fish House Punch

    According to cocktail historian David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe!”, Fish House Punch should be “made a mandatory part of every Fourth of July.” If the punch’s provenance is indeed as historic as people claim it is, then it may well deserve priority over cans of beer that say “America” on them. And with a…

  • Amalgamated Maryland Eggnog

    “Christmas comes but once a year, when eggnog takes the place of beer.” – 1918 These days, Christmastime can feel tainted with greed; shopping and spending, forging memories with limited edition Coke cans, thoughtless gifts and waste. There was a time, over a century ago, when things were more simple and pure. Back in those…

  • Noyau Cordial

    “Many a southern gentlewoman, delicately reared, but with whom fortune has dealt harshly, has been compelled to appeal to [the Daughters of the Confederacy], and often for the necessities of life. Inability to provide for all of these needs has compelled the societies to adopt some plan of replenishing their treasuries. A bazaar held in…

  • New Country Lemon Soda

    In typical Maryland fashion, the bone-chilling cold ended one day and the very next day we were greeted with scorching sunshine. The “scorching sunshine” half of the year tends to leave me yearning for a crisp beverage at the end of my walk home. Ginger ale is a favorite and I’ve been flirting with the…