--- title: "Celebrate America’s 250th with a real Revolutionary War cocktail" description: "Before Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys brought the pain to the British, they fueled up with this Revolutionary War cocktail." date: "2022-07-03" modified: "2026-07-02" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/cider-cocktails-revolutionary-war/" categories: - "History" - "Revolutionary War" - "War History" tags: - "America250" - "Food" - "Military History" - "Revolutionary War" --- # Celebrate America’s 250th with a real Revolutionary War cocktail ![Ethan Allen ticonderoga revolutionary war cocktail]() *We're not saying Ethan Allen was drunk at Ticonderoga but we're also not saying he was entirely sober. (National Museum of the U.S. Army)* The Pilgrims stopped at Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer. The U.S. Marine Corps was founded in a bar. One of the reasons Prohibition failed in in the United States is probably because this country was founded on and was fueled by booze from the get-go—and there just isn't a lot Americans won't do to keep the party going a little longer. **Also Read: [The Pilgrims only stopped at Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer]()** The best example of this might be the legendary Revolutionary War leader Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, whose first order of business after famously taking Fort Ticonderoga from the British was to raid its liquor stores and "[drink the place dry]()." The truth is, however, they might have already imbibed some Revolutionary War cocktails before setting foot in Ticonderoga. ![capture of fort ticonderoga revolutinary war cocktail]() *One of the greatest beer runs ever. (U.S. Army) North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy Stock Photo* Vermont's Green Mountain Boys were the first to deliver a crushing defeat to the British during the American Revolution. With Gen. Benedict Arnold, they managed to capture the guns at Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot. They also took two other forts in the area, but Ticonderoga was the key to Lake Champlain, which denied the British entry from that point and became the staging area for patriot incursions into Canada. More importantly, the cannons seized at the fort were moved to Boston, where the British occupied much of the city since April 1775. Despite inflicting heavy casualties on the redcoats at places like the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Continental Army needed the help. In November 1775, Ethan Allen and his Vermonters moved the fort's supplies (minus the booze) and guns overland to Boston, where Gen. George Washington and his artillery commander Henry Knox used them to force the British to withdraw from Boston after holding it for almost a full year. ![ethan allen revolutionary war cocktail]() *If Ethan Allen looks like he might be intoxicated in this painting, it's because he might very well be.* What prompts a gaggle of armed good-ol' boys from Vermont to take on a heavily armed and fortified position of professional soldiers in the world's largest, best-equipped, and seasoned army of veterans? Alcohol, of course. It's an American tradition. The night before Allen and the boys seized the fort, [they all met at Remington's Tavern]() in Castleton, Vermont. There, they sat down with Benedict Arnold who was sent by the Continental Congress to capture the fort and its guns. The Green Mountain Boys were there because they were going to take the fort anyway, sanctioned or not—so Arnold and his regulars might as well join in. The liquid courage being poured at the tavern was what was a Revolutionary War cocktail common for the area during that time period: hard cider. Colonists planted apples in the new world primarily for the purpose [of drinking them](). The crop thrived here and kept people healthy, as it was often safer than the drinking water. In fact, cider was pretty much used as currency. But back then, drinking men needed more of a kick, so they added shots of rum to their cider, two shots of it to every pint of cider. They called the drink a "[Stone Fence]()" because after more than one, it created a feeling of running down a hill into one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJFeC3bhwog&t=334s After the ragtag group downed enough bravery, the two commanders led the crossing of Lake Champlain in the early morning hours, with 83 of the Green Mountain Boys. But dawn was coming fast, and Allen and Arnold worried that if they waited for the whole force, they might lose the element of surprise. So with just 83 Vermonters, they silently stormed Fort Ticonderoga, catching the garrison completely by surprise, capturing the guns for use elsewhere in the Revolution. If they hadn't captured those guns, the rebellion might have died in its cradle by diminishing hopes and expectations for the Continental Army's chances. So down a few of these spiked ciders for Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, who might have just saved the future United States, fueled by Caribbean Rum, and American-grown apple juice left to ferment into cider. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty **• [The history of Rip It, the beverage that fueled the War on Terror]()** **• [The last 6 Revolutionary War veterans survived long enough to be photographed]()** **• [What happened to the German mercenaries who fought against the American Revolution]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()