November 7, 2004
Chatham Artillery Punch
How was my brother's wedding? Stupor duper. The reception was well-lubricated by an ample supply of Chatham Artillery Punch. So much so that I booty-danced with Puddyhead whilst we both wore bird masquerade masks. More on that another day.
Yes, my brother was wise enough to whip up a couple of gallons of my mother's signature Artillery Punch recipe. This stuff tastes like Kool-Ade, and humbles mere moonshine in neuron destruction.
The history: in colonial days the Chatham Artillery would have balls, as people with fancy uniforms are wont to do. The women would serve up punch, and the men would surreptitiously tipple their flasks into the punchbowl; hence the variegated nature of the Punch. Six liquors, wine, fruit, especial ingredients. Steeped for six weeks minimum, and served with champagne, freshly added.
My mother had an old recipe which she had tweaked a bit. Being a quite modest drinker, she had no reason to question the potency of the concoction. So every year at her Christmas party she would serve up the Punch. Her social circle basically consisted of Episcopalian movers and shakers, and it was always a pleasure to watch the old hens and jurists attempt to maneuver their stoles and suitcoats and land yachts as they struggled to figure out what mule had kicked them in the head.
From a tort point of view it was dangerous stuff, but we certainly enjoyed it. I personally nearly broke my neck performing an unintended almost one and a half gainer off my mother's deck after 3 cups of the poison. I have seen single women kiss my priest in front of his wife, old men stick their tongues down The Bride's throat, insane grab-ass on an unparallelled scale (often by me) at my mother's parties after this Punch was deployed. All with great Anglican harumphing. My poor mother knew not what she wrought.
And so I was pleased, and infused with great nostalgia, when my brother went out of his way to produce the prime brew for his own wedding. From the original recipe. What a bro. He pleases me. My younger brother was pleased as well. He loves to watch me drink this stuff. Lookee: I ended up in an all-black daquiri bar at 1:30am with my niece and nephew after the reception, trying to purchase a Denny's Slam. Grist for the mill.
And so: I will mix the greatest batch of Chatham Artillery Punch ever for the Spring Blogfest. Let us compare the effect to good old corn liquor. I am a prescient person. I predict a bit of mayhem. And I'll be the guy dressed as an Anglican priest.
Oooo. V-man! I'm saving my spare change now for that airline ticket.
Posted by: Mamamontezz at November 8, 2004 12:13 AMWhere are y'all planning on having yon Spring Blogfest? I've heard NOLA, I've heard Savannah...what's the prevailing opinion?
Enquiring minds are burning to know.
Posted by: queenie at November 8, 2004 12:13 AMMust...have...recipe...must...
Which is better currency for bartering with Velocipriest? Cleavage pics, or is it a promise not to post an artistically retouched rendition of the Velocifinger with overtones of Faust? Or is it Dr. Faustus? I always get those two hopelessly entangled.
Must...have...recipe...
Posted by: kelley at November 8, 2004 12:17 AM...and I will be sure to execute one of my signature "car door incidents." I'm going for a perfect 10.
Posted by: Jim - PRS at November 8, 2004 2:35 AM"Episcopalian movers and shakers"....hahhhaaaa. Hmm. A Spring Blogfest? Oh dear.
Posted by: Mirthful S. at November 8, 2004 3:46 AMThis Artillery Punch sounds a lot like "Fish-House Punch" I've made before. A college prof friend of mine discovered "Fish-House Punch" while reading some letters of an 18th Century Virginia Plantation Owner. It was called "Fish-House Punch" because it was strong enough that after a drink you could go and work in the fish house and not be affected by the smell.
If you like we can exchange recipes.
Posted by: The Maximum Leader at November 8, 2004 9:57 AM...you can lead to the punch, but you can't make me drink.
(But maybe a taste wouldn't hurt. : D)
Posted by: Key at November 8, 2004 4:47 PMI know that punch well. Glad to here it is still being deployed in family mirthmaking.
Posted by: Rankin' Rob at November 8, 2004 5:07 PMKey: As my "Uncle" Arthur Gordon wrote in the Christ [Episcopal] Church cookbook commentary on his version of the brew, as best as memory serves, "no amount of tasting will make one immune to its effects". Mentions of revolving attic tasting rooms. The stuff, at its best, is put in large crocks, covered with cheesecloth, and allowed to come to terms with itself for a month or few. While no immunity develops from the practice of tasting it as it matures, most of its makers swear that it improves the flavor immensely. Therefore, we advise making a double batch so that there's enough left to serve on its appointed celebratory finish day.
I recommend using a combination of the so-called "original" recipe available on the internet (remembering that the wine used was not the poor relation's catawba home brew but instead a fine madeira that had been further improved by transport across the sea in sailing ships and aged further in cellars in local homes), Uncle Arthur's Christ Church recipe, and that in the Savannah Junior League's 1970-era cookbook. The latter's use of fruit is particularly delicious.
Remember, too, that the addition of champagne may not be original but it has become traditional. The more champagne added on the day of serving, the weaker the punch will be. The amount used in the other recipe readily available on the web -- that of The Shrimp Factory -- is, in my opinion, too great.
Maximum: I've had Fish House punch and can assure you that a finely tuned Chatham Artillery Punch is elegant in comparison.
Mirthful: Mock ye not the Episcopalians for they may well end up the only thing standing between red state born again theocracy and your continued ability to enjoy such of life's treasures as Chatham Artillery Punch!
Posted by: Mrs. Marla Randolph Stevens at August 11, 2005 7:07 PMChatham Artillery Punch...that smooth nectar of Savannah... Yes, it is much better when the initial ingredients have stewed a bit before serving with the Champagne. My Savannah family, good Scots Presbyterians that they were, did not drink (or admit to it)... However, this 8th gen descendant does enjoy a glass every now and then--but I must remark on one detail. The original "receipt" did not call for maraschino cherries--that's a fairly recent addition--and the potion is NOT red in color (contra what one saw in the "Midnight" film)... No matter what color it winds up (should be a greeny-yellow), DON'T DRINK & DRIVE.
Posted by: CCS at November 30, 2005 11:38 AMCCS - what kind of awful Chatham Artillery Punch have you had that is greeny-yellow in color? The movie version of "Midnight" got their recipe from the Shrimp Factory if I recall correctly, which boasts the most authentic version (though the Savannah Jr. League cookbook is so very close) AND is quite a shade of dark pink/red. Perhaps it's the wine, or perhaps the cherries (they may be a slightly recent addition, but I'll be damned if eating those after weeks of stewing in all that alcohol isn't a heap of fun waitin' to happen), but I have never seen a batch that isn't red. I admit, I am from the great "Northern" city of Atlanta, but my fiance's family hails from Savannah and goes back several generations there. They're family recipies that have been passed down do include cherries and are likely more potent that the stuff you get on River Street (and so the tradition of adding this and that continues with the next generations!). No matter what the color though, if you stick with the recipe you can get from the Shrimp Factory, you're going to get some darn good punch. I too will be serving the concoction at my own wedding this summer. It'll do well to wash down the delicious shrimp and potatoes from the Low Country Boil we're serving at our reception! Hey - our families are Southern AND Irish, so we plan on making this a racous affair!
Posted by: Schuyler at June 8, 2006 2:17 PM