Chatham Artillery Punch Recipe

Published Oct 15, 2017

Chatham Artillery Punch: A powerful concoction, a 200 year old Savannah tradition.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Savannah, do as the Savannahians do...which usually means drink. To-go cup anyone?

We have our own special drink here, and, like just about everything else in Savannah, it’s historic.

Named for it’s creators, The Chatham Artillery, Chatham Artillery Punch dates back over 200 years.

The drink was probably put together by the ladies and cooks that took care of the company, who, working with what they had, poured it into a trough (think horse-water buckets). Without coordinating, the men and the officers would sneak into the mix whatever personal booze they may have had on them. Eventually, the recipe evolved into something palatable, and the Chatham Artillery had their own custom brew that was served at celebrations and passed on to us today.

The Recipe:

  • 2 cups red wine
  • 2 cups tea
  • ⅓ cup rum
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup whiskey
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ⅓ cup gin
  • ⅓ cup brandy
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 1 small bottle maraschino cherries
  • 1 bottle champagne
    Mix all the ingredients together (except the champagne), and let sit for anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week! When ready to serve, add in the champagne and enjoy!