In late 1700's to early 1800's Pennsylvania, what kind of citrus, sugar, and tea/coffee would be common or somewhat available? (More in comments)

by RustyPipes

I am playing around with some ideas for a cocktail built around what might be available to someone in Pennsylvania around 1780-1820.

Any citrus? If not, what would they have somewhat similar?

Sugar? Molasses, or something like a brown/demerara sugar? Honey?

Tea/coffee/bitter? What could be used to bring bitter to a drink?

Any way to chill a drink? Snow from outside in the winter?

Thanks in advance.

mormengil

Yes they had citrus fruit. Lemons were available, probably limes, don't know about oranges.

Yes they had sugar and molasses and brown sugar and honey and maple syrup.

Yes they had tea and coffee (although after the tea tax and the Boston Tea Party it became unpatriotic to drink tea).

Sure they could chill drinks. Many people had an ice house, dug underground, insulated with sawdust, where ice blocks cut from ponds in the winter would keep all summer long.

Here is a recipe from Ben Franklin for a "milk punch" from 1763, which includes lemons and sugar (though not some of your other ingredients.)

http://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?old=1&item_id=294

Rum (Generally made in the colonies from molasses imported from the West Indies) was the most common distilled alcohol before the Revolution (though Franklin's recipe uses brandy, imported from France), Whiskey after.