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'''Cohasset Punch''' is a [[brand]] of [[rum]]-based drink introduced in 1899. First created by Chicago bartenders Lewis A. Williams and Thomas C. Newman, Cohasset Punch was long associated with the Ladner Bros. bar, who produced it until the 1980s.<ref name="Wondrich">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Wondrich | first=David | encyclopedia=The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails | title=Cohasset Punch | publisher=Oxford University Press | publication-place=New York, NY, United States of America | date=2022 | pages=186-187 | isbn=978-0-19-931113-2 | editor1-last=Wondrich | editor1-first=David | editor2-last=Rothbaum | editor2-first=Noah}}</ref> Though officially classified as a [[liqueur]], Cohasset Punch can also be considered a bottled [[cocktail]] or [[punch (drink)|punch]]. In 2024, bottled Cohasset Punch was relaunched under new ownership.<ref name="History">{{cite web | title=History | website=Cohasset Punch | url=https://www.cohassetpunch.com/history | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>
'''Cohasset Punch''' is a [[brand]] of [[rum]]-based drink introduced in 1899. First created by Chicago bartenders Lewis A. Williams and Thomas C. Newman, Cohasset Punch was long associated with the Ladner Bros. bar on [[Madison Street (Chicago)|Madison Street]] in the [[Chicago Loop]], who produced it until the 1980s.<ref name="Wondrich">{{cite encyclopedia | last=Wondrich | first=David | encyclopedia=The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails | title=Cohasset Punch | publisher=Oxford University Press | publication-place=New York | date=2022 | pages=186-187 | isbn=978-0-19-931113-2 | editor1-last=Wondrich | editor1-first=David | editor2-last=Rothbaum | editor2-first=Noah}}</ref> Though officially classified as a [[liqueur]], Cohasset Punch can also be considered a bottled [[cocktail]] or [[punch (drink)|punch]], and has been referred to as “the definitive Chicago cocktail”.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite | last=Felten | first=Eric | title=Drinking the Chicago Way | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122973257260622987 | date=December 20, 2008 | access-date=May 20, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, bottled Cohasset Punch was relaunched under new ownership.<ref name="History">{{cite web | title=History | website=Cohasset Punch | url=https://www.cohassetpunch.com/history | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
In the late 1890s, Chicago saloon owner and liquor dealer Lewis A. Williams was invited to spend a few weeks at the [[Cohasset, Massachusetts]] summer estate of long-time family friend,<ref name="Crane">{{cite book | title=Footprints and Echoes | last=Crane | first=William H. | date=1927 | location=New York | publisher=E.P. Dutton & Company | pages=55-56}}</ref> actor [[William H. Crane]].<ref name="Bonforts">{{cite magazine | title=The Origin of Cohasset Punch | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | magazine=Bonfort's Wine & Spirit Circular | date=August 10, 1902 | page=305 | volume=58 | issue=7}}</ref> Williams overheard some of Crane’s other guests discussing rum [[punch (drink)|punch]]. Williams [[telegraphy|wired]] Tom Newman, his business partner back in Chicago, to request a mixed drink that would “surpass anything ever before imbibed by any living soul.”<ref name="Bonforts"></ref> Within 24 hours, a cask of the new punch was loaded onto a railcar and bound for Cohasset. Upon tasting the new concoction, Crane and his guests declared Newman the “king of blenders.” Crane wired Newman his thanks and asked for the name of the new drink, and Newman simply wired back the name, “Cohasset”.<ref name="Bonforts"></ref>
In the late 1890s, Chicago saloon owner and liquor dealer Lewis A. Williams was invited to spend a few weeks at the [[Cohasset, Massachusetts]] summer estate of long-time family friend,<ref name="Crane">{{cite book | title=Footprints and Echoes | last=Crane | first=William H. | date=1927 | location=New York | publisher=E.P. Dutton & Company | pages=55-56}}</ref> actor [[William H. Crane]].<ref name="Bonforts">{{cite magazine | title=The Origin of Cohasset Punch | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | magazine=Bonfort's Wine & Spirit Circular | date=August 10, 1902 | page=305 | volume=58 | issue=7}}</ref> Williams overheard some of Crane’s other guests discussing rum [[punch (drink)|punch]], and [[telegraphy|wired]] Tom Newman, his business partner back in Chicago, to request a mixed drink that would “surpass anything ever before imbibed by any living soul.”<ref name="Bonforts"></ref> Within 24 hours, a cask of the new punch was loaded onto a railcar and bound for Cohasset. Upon tasting the new concoction, Crane and his guests declared Newman the “king of blenders.” Crane wired Newman his thanks and asked for the name of the new drink, and Newman simply wired back the name, “Cohasset”.<ref name="Bonforts"></ref>


Williams & Newman began mixing Cohasset Punch at their saloon, serving the blend over a [[peach]] slice soaked in [[brandy]].<ref name="Fougner">{{cite news | last=Fougner | first=G. Selmer | title=Along the Wine Trail | work=New York Sun | date=November 11, 1938 | page=23}}</ref> By the fall of 1899 they were selling Cohasset Punch in bottles, with modest but nationwide distribution.<ref name="Wondrich></ref> From the very beginning, each bottle had an image of [[Cohasset, Massachusetts|Cohasset]]’s famous [[Minot's Ledge Light|Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse]] on the label. In 1902, a leading liquor trade journal remarked that so high was the demand for Cohasset Punch in Chicago, that “what the [[mint julep]] is to the South, Cohasset Punch is to Chicago.”<ref name="Bonforts"></ref> Recipes appeared for Cohasset Punch in bar guides that included sweet [[vermouth]], New England [[rum]], [[lemon]] juice, and [[orange bitters]],<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite book | title=The Complete Buffet Manual | last=Sheridan | first=J.E. | date=1901 | location=Chicago | publisher=Henneberry | pages=47-48}}</ref> but bar regulars believed it to not taste the same.<ref name="Fougner"></ref> Of the drink’s smoothness compared to its 60-[[Alcohol proof|proof]] strength, a 1938 letter to the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote, “After three or four of them, a pleasant mellowness steals over you, your imagination glows, you discover humor you never possessed. When you finally get up to go, lo, your legs are merely attached to your body for appearance’s sake.”<ref name="Tribune38">{{cite news |title=A Line O’ Type or Two | work=Chicago Tribune | date=August 17, 1938 | page=10}}</ref>
Williams & Newman began mixing Cohasset Punch at their saloon, serving the blend over a [[peach]] slice soaked in [[brandy]].<ref name="Fougner">{{cite news | last=Fougner | first=G. Selmer | title=Along the Wine Trail | work=New York Sun | date=November 11, 1938 | page=23}}</ref> By the fall of 1899 they were selling Cohasset Punch in bottles, with modest but nationwide distribution.<ref name="Wondrich></ref> From the very beginning, each bottle had an image of [[Cohasset, Massachusetts|Cohasset]]’s famous [[Minot's Ledge Light|Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse]] on the label. In 1902, a leading liquor trade journal remarked that so high was the demand for Cohasset Punch in Chicago, that “what the [[mint julep]] is to the South, Cohasset Punch is to Chicago.”<ref name="Bonforts"></ref> A recipe appeared for Cohasset Punch in cocktail guides that included sweet [[vermouth]], New England [[rum]], [[lemon]] juice, and [[orange bitters]],<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite book | title=The Complete Buffet Manual | last=Sheridan | first=J.E. | date=1901 | location=Chicago | publisher=Henneberry | pages=47-48}}</ref> but regulars believed that this formula did not quite taste like the original.<ref name="Wondrich"></ref> Of the drink’s smoothness compared to its 60-[[Alcohol proof|proof]] strength, a 1938 letter to the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote, “After three or four of them, a pleasant mellowness steals over you, your imagination glows, you discover humor you never possessed. When you finally get up to go, lo, your legs are merely attached to your body for appearance’s sake.”<ref name="Tribune38">{{cite news |title=A Line O’ Type or Two | work=Chicago Tribune | date=August 17, 1938 | page=10}}</ref>


After Williams & Newman retired in 1916, they sold the rights to the Ladner Bros. bar on [[Madison Street (Chicago)|Madison Street]] in the [[Chicago Loop]], who continued to serve the drink at their bar as well as bottle for distribution. The bar reopened after [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]], and a large [[neon sign]] touting “The Home of Cohasset Punch” was hung outside.<ref name="History"></ref> Ladner Bros. was demolished in 1986<ref name="SunTimes86">{{cite news | last=Davis | first=Jerry C. | title=Prohibition-era Cohasset Punch to fall for W. Madison skyscraper | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=March 17, 1986 | page=47}}</ref> by developer [[Lee Miglin]] to make way for the proposed (but never built) 125-story [[Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle]].<ref name="SunTimes89">{{cite news | last=Davis | first=Jerry C. | title=New skyscraper planned—would tower over Sears | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=May 23, 1989}}</ref> Production of Cohasset Punch ceased production shortly thereafter.
After Williams & Newman retired in 1916, they sold the rights to Carl Ladner, who continued to serve the drink at the Ladner Bros. bar as well as bottle it for distribution. The bar reopened after [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]], and a large [[neon sign]] touting “The Home of Cohasset Punch” was hung outside.<ref name="Wondrich></ref> During the 1930s and 40s, bottled Cohasset Punch could be found at many of Chicago’s restaurants and nightclubs including [[Chez Paree]] and [[Blackhawk (restaurant)|The Blackhawk]], as well as the “Tip Top Tap” bar cars aboard the [[Milwaukee Road]]’s [[Hiawatha (train)|Hiawatha]] passenger trains.<ref name="ChezParee">{{cite document | type=Menu | title=Dinner Wine List | publisher=Chez Paree | date=1941}}</ref><ref name="Blackhawk">{{cite document | type=Menu | title=Cocktails | publisher=The Blackhawk | date=1943}}</ref><ref name="TipTopTap">{{cite document | type=Menu | title=Tip Top Tap Room | publisher=Milwaukee Road | date=1935}}</ref> Ladner Bros. was demolished in 1986<ref name="SunTimes86">{{cite news | last=Davis | first=Jerry C. | title=Prohibition-era Cohasset Punch to fall for W. Madison skyscraper | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=March 17, 1986 | page=47}}</ref> by developer [[Lee Miglin]] to make way for the proposed (but never built) 125-story [[Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle]].<ref name="SunTimes89">{{cite news | last=Davis | first=Jerry C. | title=New skyscraper planned—would tower over Sears | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=May 23, 1989}}</ref> Production of Cohasset Punch ceased production shortly thereafter.


In 2024, the Cohasset Punch brand was revived by a Chicago-based cocktail history enthusiast using historical accounts of its flavor and ingredients.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news | last=Hammond | first=David | title=Want to party like it’s 1899? One Chicagoan is working to revive Cohasset Punch liqueur | work=Chicago Tribune | date=January 12, 2024 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/01/12/want-to-party-like-its-1899-one-chicagoan-is-working-to-revive-cohasset-punch-liqueur/ | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Forbes">{{cite web | last=Hurt | first=Jeanette | title=Drinks Historian Revives Chicago’s Signature Cocktail, Cohasset Punch | website=Forbes | date=April 28, 2024 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanettehurt/2024/04/28/drinks-historian-revives-chicagos-signature-cocktail-cohasset-punch/?sh=1ff6a0eb1642 | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>
In 2024, the Cohasset Punch brand was revived by a Chicago-based cocktail history enthusiast using historical accounts of its flavor and ingredients.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news | last=Hammond | first=David | title=Want to party like it’s 1899? One Chicagoan is working to revive Cohasset Punch liqueur | work=Chicago Tribune | date=January 12, 2024 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/01/12/want-to-party-like-its-1899-one-chicagoan-is-working-to-revive-cohasset-punch-liqueur/ | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Forbes">{{cite web | last=Hurt | first=Jeanette | title=Drinks Historian Revives Chicago’s Signature Cocktail, Cohasset Punch | website=Forbes | date=April 28, 2024 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanettehurt/2024/04/28/drinks-historian-revives-chicagos-signature-cocktail-cohasset-punch/?sh=1ff6a0eb1642 | access-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>

Revision as of 02:34, 20 May 2024

Cohasset Punch
A modern bottle of Cohasset Punch
TypeLiqueur
Country of origin Chicago, Illinois, United States
Introduced1899
Alcohol by volume 30%
Proof (US)60
Websitecohassetpunch.com

Cohasset Punch is a brand of rum-based drink introduced in 1899. First created by Chicago bartenders Lewis A. Williams and Thomas C. Newman, Cohasset Punch was long associated with the Ladner Bros. bar on Madison Street in the Chicago Loop, who produced it until the 1980s.[1] Though officially classified as a liqueur, Cohasset Punch can also be considered a bottled cocktail or punch, and has been referred to as “the definitive Chicago cocktail”.[2] In 2024, bottled Cohasset Punch was relaunched under new ownership.[3]

History

In the late 1890s, Chicago saloon owner and liquor dealer Lewis A. Williams was invited to spend a few weeks at the Cohasset, Massachusetts summer estate of long-time family friend,[4] actor William H. Crane.[5] Williams overheard some of Crane’s other guests discussing rum punch, and wired Tom Newman, his business partner back in Chicago, to request a mixed drink that would “surpass anything ever before imbibed by any living soul.”[5] Within 24 hours, a cask of the new punch was loaded onto a railcar and bound for Cohasset. Upon tasting the new concoction, Crane and his guests declared Newman the “king of blenders.” Crane wired Newman his thanks and asked for the name of the new drink, and Newman simply wired back the name, “Cohasset”.[5]

Williams & Newman began mixing Cohasset Punch at their saloon, serving the blend over a peach slice soaked in brandy.[6] By the fall of 1899 they were selling Cohasset Punch in bottles, with modest but nationwide distribution.[1] From the very beginning, each bottle had an image of Cohasset’s famous Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse on the label. In 1902, a leading liquor trade journal remarked that so high was the demand for Cohasset Punch in Chicago, that “what the mint julep is to the South, Cohasset Punch is to Chicago.”[5] A recipe appeared for Cohasset Punch in cocktail guides that included sweet vermouth, New England rum, lemon juice, and orange bitters,[7] but regulars believed that this formula did not quite taste like the original.[1] Of the drink’s smoothness compared to its 60-proof strength, a 1938 letter to the Chicago Tribune wrote, “After three or four of them, a pleasant mellowness steals over you, your imagination glows, you discover humor you never possessed. When you finally get up to go, lo, your legs are merely attached to your body for appearance’s sake.”[8]

After Williams & Newman retired in 1916, they sold the rights to Carl Ladner, who continued to serve the drink at the Ladner Bros. bar as well as bottle it for distribution. The bar reopened after Prohibition, and a large neon sign touting “The Home of Cohasset Punch” was hung outside.[1] During the 1930s and 40s, bottled Cohasset Punch could be found at many of Chicago’s restaurants and nightclubs including Chez Paree and The Blackhawk, as well as the “Tip Top Tap” bar cars aboard the Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha passenger trains.[9][10][11] Ladner Bros. was demolished in 1986[12] by developer Lee Miglin to make way for the proposed (but never built) 125-story Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle.[13] Production of Cohasset Punch ceased production shortly thereafter.

In 2024, the Cohasset Punch brand was revived by a Chicago-based cocktail history enthusiast using historical accounts of its flavor and ingredients.[14][15]

Serving

Historically, Cohasset Punch has been served stirred with ice and strained into a cocktail glass over a peach slice. In the early 20th century, this garnish would have likely been a peach slice preserved in brandy.[1] In the 1970s and 80s, Cohasset Punch was increasingly served on the rocks or with mixers.[16] The current manufacturer suggests a number of cocktails that can be made with Cohasset Punch.[17]

Cultural References

Cohasset Punch is mentioned in Saul Bellow’s Chicago-set debut novel, Dangling Man (1944):

And here was the scene, predictable to the last detail, hours, days, weeks before — the light furniture in the popular Swedish style, the brown carpet, the Chagall and Gris prints, the vines trailing from the mantelpiece, the bowl of Cohasset Punch.[18]

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wondrich, David (2022). "Cohasset Punch". In Wondrich, David; Rothbaum, Noah (eds.). The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 186–187. ISBN 978-0-19-931113-2.
  2. ^ Felten, Eric (December 20, 2008), Drinking the Chicago Way, retrieved May 20, 2024
  3. ^ "History". Cohasset Punch. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Crane, William H. (1927). Footprints and Echoes. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company. pp. 55–56.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Origin of Cohasset Punch". Bonfort's Wine & Spirit Circular. Vol. 58, no. 7. August 10, 1902. p. 305.
  6. ^ Fougner, G. Selmer (November 11, 1938). "Along the Wine Trail". New York Sun. p. 23.
  7. ^ Sheridan, J.E. (1901). The Complete Buffet Manual. Chicago: Henneberry. pp. 47–48.
  8. ^ "A Line O' Type or Two". Chicago Tribune. August 17, 1938. p. 10.
  9. ^ "Dinner Wine List" (Menu). Chez Paree. 1941.
  10. ^ "Cocktails" (Menu). The Blackhawk. 1943.
  11. ^ "Tip Top Tap Room" (Menu). Milwaukee Road. 1935.
  12. ^ Davis, Jerry C. (March 17, 1986). "Prohibition-era Cohasset Punch to fall for W. Madison skyscraper". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 47.
  13. ^ Davis, Jerry C. (May 23, 1989). "New skyscraper planned—would tower over Sears". Chicago Sun-Times.
  14. ^ Hammond, David (January 12, 2024). "Want to party like it's 1899? One Chicagoan is working to revive Cohasset Punch liqueur". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Hurt, Jeanette (April 28, 2024). "Drinks Historian Revives Chicago's Signature Cocktail, Cohasset Punch". Forbes. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  16. ^ Riggs, Rod (November 24, 1986). "Pushing an old punch". San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E-7.
  17. ^ "Recipes". Cohasset Punch. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Bellow, Saul (1944). Dangling Man. Signet Book. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-451-04231-6.

Category:Food and drink introduced in the 1890s Category:Cuisine of Chicago Category:Liqueurs Category:American liqueurs Category:Mixed drinks Category:1899 introductions Category:Cocktails with rum

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