While researching some ancestors, I learned that they owned a tavern on the Midwest frontier. One might assume that it was no coincidence that they were also ranking officers in the local militia, as militia elections were decided by popular vote.
This discovery prompted some research concerning alcohol consumption of yesteryear. I did some online research via several sites. The Temperance Guide I have included within this post was first published in 1784 by by none other than Dr. Benjamin Rush, in an article called “An Inquiry into the Effects of Spirituous Liquors on the Human Body and the Mind”.
Colonial Americans drank roughly three times as much alcohol as modern-day Americans. Whiskey was a typical lunchtime drink, ale accompanied supper, and the day often ended with a sip of alcohol. Continuous indulgence helped Colonials built up a tolerance for alcohol. Most Americans in 1790 consumed an average 5.8 gallons of pure alcohol a year. Alcohol was served at mealtimes and throughout the day. Gatherings such as weddings and funerals generally had alcohol on hand.
Reasons for drinking habits included: poor or polluted water supplies, a belief in alcohol’s nourishing and medicinal properties, and generally, an English mindset that water was bad for a person’s health. Considering the sanitary conditions of the day, this was likely accurate. Beer consumption was seen as a healthy substitute for water. For hundreds of years, our ancestors heartily consumed beer and ale.
In the early 1800’s, many people believed it was healthier to drink lukewarm alcohol during hot weather rather than drink cold water. Signs were sometimes displayed at public wells warning individuals of the dangers of cold water during the summer. Settlers believed that when a person sweated, heat was conducted from the inside of the body, and so the stomach needed warmth. Warmth could be created by consuming by alcohol.
Taverns were the center of civic life. The first businesses established on the frontier were often simple taverns located along trails and roads to take care of the needs of travelers. A tradition of the time was that a drink be had at every halt in a journey. Small beer, (typically 1%) beer, was brewed for children, servants, and general family consumption. Small beer was also available at taverns because it allowed people to drink several glasses without becoming intoxicated. Small beer, by the barrel, cost half the price of a barrel of strong beer.
Overfield Tavern Troy, OH
The development of the Midwest “corn belt” created large new supplies of corn, which was cheaper and more profitable to convert into whiskey than it was to transport great distances without spoiling. Western farmers could make no profit shipping corn overland to eastern markets, so they distilled corn into liquid assets. By the 1820s, whiskey sold for twenty-five cents a gallon. It was cheaper than beer, wine, coffee, tea, or milk. Rum was the most popular alcoholic colonial drink.
Three drink recipes from the colonial period can be found below… However, I urge you to take the Temperance Guide seriously.
Flip (George Washington’s favorite beverage)
…The term “Flip” was first used in 1695 to describe a mixture of beer, rum, and sugar, heated with a red-hot iron. The iron caused the drink to froth, and this frothing (or “flipping”) engendered the name. Over time, eggs were added and the proportion of sugar increased, the beer was eliminated, and the drink ceased to be served hot. As it evolved, it was a very popular drink for many years.
Shrub
…Is a fruit liqueur that was popular in 17th and 18th century England, typically made with rum or brandy, and mixed with sugar and the juice or rinds of citrus fruit.
Stone Fence
…Is a mix of apple cider, herbs and spices and your favorite spirit. American whiskeys like bourbon and rye are natural pairings with cider.
Newcom Tavern Dayton, OH
There are many historic taverns that that are open to visitors. The Overfield Tavern in Troy, Ohio and the Newcom Tavern in Dayton, Ohio are two great examples of early taverns that still exist and are open to visitors.
Welcome to “Sharing the Stories of History with Tim Mann”!
Meet Timothy A. Mann, a passionate historian born and raised in the heart of Shelby County, Ohio where Tim’s roots run deep in the rich soil of American history. As the author of articles and books, including “Frontier Miscellany Concerning the Miami County Ohio Militia,” “Colonel John Mann, His Kith and Kin,” and “Frontier Militia – The War of 1812,” Tim’s literary contributions have enlightened and inspired countless history enthusiasts.
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