From the beginning of European colonization of North America in the 16th/17th centuries, alcoholic beverages for daily consumption, celebration, and ceremony were commonplace across all strata of society. Punch in particular became a favored drink in taverns and public houses as well as in the homes of the elite, and the materials associated with punch became a niche market for European and Asian ceramic producers. Excavated punch bowls from Drayton Hall provide the background for the social history of punch and rum on the eve of and during the American Revolution, with an 18th c. punch recipe for participants to sample, in addition to two rums typical of what would have been produced in the American colonies and West Indies. Join us on May 9 from 3:30 - 5:30pm as we explore punch in Colonial America with a lecture and special tasting. Register