There are many myths surrounding the First Thanksgiving.

Thus, let’s begin this post with a few ‘historic’ corrections…

First, and interestingly, the original settlers of Plymouth Colony did not refer to themselves as Pilgrims. Some of the new English transplants called themselves ‘Saints’, and others saw themselves as religious ‘dissidents’. As a whole, they had unsuccessfully attempted to ‘purify’ the Church of England. Seeking religious independence,  the group fled to Holland. And, following an unhappy stay on the European mainland, they returned to England, and almost immediately embarked on the Mayflower for the ‘New World’. William Bradford, one of the Mayflower travelers, first associated the term ‘pilgrimes’ (lower case/Hebrews, Chapter 11 KJV, referring those who traveled for religious purposes) for the settlers . Pilgrim, as a proper name, joined the common vernacular in the 1840s.

For the purposes of a Thanksgiving discussion, we will simply use the term ‘Pilgrims’.

The first ‘Thanksgiving’ was (a real fact) held in 1621, but it was not celebrated every year. Moreover, the specific date of the first ‘Thanksgiving’ is unknown…sometime between the end of September and the middle of November. A ‘Thanksgiving’ (which could last for three days), was only held when residents decided to ‘celebrate’ a particularly successful harvest. However, with Abraham Lincoln’s “appointment of the last Thursday of November” as a day of Thanksgiving “to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God” for plentiful harvests, the event assumed greater regularity. Although many Americans chose to participate, celebrations were a personal choice and not a national holiday.

In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt established the third Thursday of November as a day of ‘Thanksgiving’. However, FDR’s motive for the pronouncement was not altruistic. Retailers were concerned that Lincoln’s ‘last Thursday of November’ (November 30 in 1939), would leave very few shopping days before Christmas. They urged Roosevelt to help the economy by moving Thanksgiving back a week. Sixteen states objected to the change and continued to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. For two years there were two November Thursdays  on which Thanksgiving might be celebrated. The issue was resolved in 1941. A  joint Congressional resolution declared the fourth Thursday of November as both a national day of Thanksgiving and a legal holiday.

But, enough history…

Sadly, the ‘Pilgrims’ did not drink wine. However, the ‘Pilgrims” did enjoy alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, wine did not travel well, and the Mayflower had landed in the vinifera  poor Northeast.  And, any new vines (even if you could grow vinifera in New England) would be at least three years away from producing something drinkable.

Europeans of the 17th century generally suffered from poor water quality, and they relied on low alcohol beverages as a safer beverage. Thus, the Pilgrims traveled to the New World with beer. However, when they arrived in New England, they faced a serious crisis…they had consumed all of their beer during the westward journey. The travelers attempted to secure beer from the Mayflower’s crew, but the sailors refused the request. They were unwilling to risk a shortage on their return journey.

Critically, there was no barley or hops available. Thus, the new settlers could not brew the beer with which they were familiar. They attempted to use “lips of pumpkins, parsnips, walnut tree chips, and green cornstalks to make their best beer”. The flavor package was not embraced.

Fortunately, there were apples. Apples provide both the sugar and the natural yeast necessary for the natural reproduction of apples, and fortunately, also sufficient sugar and yeast for fermentation. The Pilgrims were able to ferment apple juice into ‘hard cider’. Hard cider was a popular drink in England, and the Pilgrims were familiar with both the drink and the process.

Hard cider is still a Northeastern tradition. Angry Orchard, founded in New York in 2012, fermenting both European and U.S. apples, has captured nearly 50% of the hard cider market. Angry Orchard is owned, ironically, by Massachusetts based Boston Beer Company, the brewers of Sam Adams.

Sadly…no wine.

Wine could not become a regular (or legal) element of the Thanksgiving feast until the end of Prohibition in December of 1933 (thank you, again, Franklin Roosevelt). That, however, is a history for another time.

If your goal is to celebrate in the fashion of the Pilgrims…avoid the turkey (they were not the settler’s bird of choice) and wash down any other fowl with hard cider. However, if you date your Thanksgiving to FDR’s 1941 pronouncement of the holiday, when wine was both legal and available, all options are on the ‘table’.

Whatever your choice of beverage or bird…have a wonderful Thanksgiving from The Vine and Spirits Report.