Food & Drinks in Colonial Taverns
Drinking
Drinking was one of the main reasons people would go to taverns. Many of the colonial taverns were run by women, however, women were not allowed to drink in the taverns. This is because they were not allowed to drink around men. Some of the more upscale taverns had special rooms for women to drink in. There were some laws that prohibited African Americans and Native Americans from being able to drink in public places, such as taverns. Drinks were served with any meal. Some of the common drinks included beer, ale, wine, rum, or hard liquor. Below is a colonial recipe for "Mrs. Carey's Good Ale". Ale was one of the most popular drinks in colonial taverns.
Photo credit: http://blackteapot.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ale.jpg
Drinking was one of the main reasons people would go to taverns. Many of the colonial taverns were run by women, however, women were not allowed to drink in the taverns. This is because they were not allowed to drink around men. Some of the more upscale taverns had special rooms for women to drink in. There were some laws that prohibited African Americans and Native Americans from being able to drink in public places, such as taverns. Drinks were served with any meal. Some of the common drinks included beer, ale, wine, rum, or hard liquor. Below is a colonial recipe for "Mrs. Carey's Good Ale". Ale was one of the most popular drinks in colonial taverns.
Photo credit: http://blackteapot.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ale.jpg
Mrs. Carey's Good Ale
“Take 3 Bushels malt 1/2 high & 1/2 Pail dry’d let your water boil then & put into your Mashing tubb, When the Steem is gone off, so as you may see your face; then put your malt, & after mashing it well then cover it with a blanket, Let it stand 2 hours, then draw it off Slow, then boil it three or four hours, till the hops curdles. When boiled Enough, cool a little, & work that with your yest, & so put the rest of your wort in as it cools, which must be let in small Tubs, let it work till your yest begins to curdle then turn it up & stop your Barrel when it has done working; Note to Every Bushels malt a Quarter of pound of hops.”
http://byo.com/belgian-strong-ale/item/479-colonial-ale
“Take 3 Bushels malt 1/2 high & 1/2 Pail dry’d let your water boil then & put into your Mashing tubb, When the Steem is gone off, so as you may see your face; then put your malt, & after mashing it well then cover it with a blanket, Let it stand 2 hours, then draw it off Slow, then boil it three or four hours, till the hops curdles. When boiled Enough, cool a little, & work that with your yest, & so put the rest of your wort in as it cools, which must be let in small Tubs, let it work till your yest begins to curdle then turn it up & stop your Barrel when it has done working; Note to Every Bushels malt a Quarter of pound of hops.”
http://byo.com/belgian-strong-ale/item/479-colonial-ale
Food
The food served in colonial taverns depended on what the proprietor had on hand, and what they felt like cooking that day. Some of the common foods served in colonial taverns included chicken, pork, and potted meats. In upscale taverns, meats such as oysters, veal and beef might be served. America's first "fast food" was actually sandwiches. These were created for an "on-the-go" meal for travelers. Since many of the travelers were on a hurry to get to their destinations, tavern owners quit using the English measurement system, and created the measurement system we use today - measuring spoons and cups. This was a much faster way of measuring foods, rather than using scales to measure out ingredients.
The food served in colonial taverns depended on what the proprietor had on hand, and what they felt like cooking that day. Some of the common foods served in colonial taverns included chicken, pork, and potted meats. In upscale taverns, meats such as oysters, veal and beef might be served. America's first "fast food" was actually sandwiches. These were created for an "on-the-go" meal for travelers. Since many of the travelers were on a hurry to get to their destinations, tavern owners quit using the English measurement system, and created the measurement system we use today - measuring spoons and cups. This was a much faster way of measuring foods, rather than using scales to measure out ingredients.
Below is a video explaining some of the food people would eat during colonial times.