We got out a New Jersey map after reading Taverns of the American Revolution as there are 19 historical taverns listed that are located in the state. What a fun road trip it would be to visit them. Some that may be familiar to you are The Black Horse Tavern in Mendham, Colt’s Neck Inn in Colts Neck, which will be celebrating their 300th anniversary in 2017, Merchants and Drovers Tavern in Rahway, Pittstown Inn in Pittstown, Smithville Inn in Galloway and Tavro 13 in Swedesboro. Today these 19 historic taverns operate as restaurants, bars, museums, community buildings or offices.
Aside from information on the East Coast taverns featured, the more than 150 others listed with their addresses, period artwork, maps, documents and historical anecdotes all make for an interesting read. Cocktail historians will love trying one of the six colonial cocktail recipes included in the book such as Chowning’s Rattle Skull or The Coow Woow, which is claimed to be America’s oldest cocktail that is made with white rum and ginger brandy.
The book also includes a Ben Franklin’s Drinker’s Dictionary with 228 different expressions for “drunk.” With the holidays coming, Taverns of the American Revolution is a great gift for history buffs as well as those interested in the drinks and conversations that occurred in these watering holes, some of which were frequented by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Author Adrian Covert is a San Francisco based author and artist.
Here is a recipe that is believed to have been enjoyed by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys at Zadak Remington’s Tavern that was located in NY.
STONE FENCE
INGREDIENTS
2 oz rum
10 oz hard cider
Lemon twist
DIRECTIONS
Pour rum and hard cider into a pint glass over ice.
Stir.
Garnish with a lemon twist
Reprinted from Taverns of the American Revolution with permission from Insight Editions. ©2016 Adrian Covert. All rights reserved.
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