Chatham Artillery Punch
2 cups sweet red wine (madeira is best) (Port Wine works well also)
2 cups strong tea
2/3 cup rum
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rye whiskey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup gin
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 jars maraschino cherries (Drain one of the juice)
1 bottle dry champagne (Or ginger ale if you don't care for champagne)

Brew tea, bring roughly 2 1/4 cups of water to a rolling boil, add one family size tea bag and boil for a few minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Remove and discard tea bag, stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.

Add prepared tea, cherries and other ingredients except the champagne/ginger ale to a container with a lid. Cover and refrigerate for at least a week, longer is better... We've kept it for over a month, it only gets better with age.

When ready to serve, fill a glass half full with ice and add about half and half punch mixture and either champagne or ginger ale. Careful with this stuff, it goes down like Kool-Aid but packs a howitzer punch. (no pun intended)

Background:
The Chatham Artillery is the second oldest military organization in the United States. Originally founded in 1786 in Savannah they saw service in the Revolutionary war, the Oconee Wars, the 2nd Seminole War, Civil War, WWI and WWII and are still an active unit of the Ga National Guard as the 118th Field Artillery.


Punch history: In colonial days the Chatham Artillery would have balls, as people with fancy uniforms are wont to do. The women would serve up punch, and the men would surreptitiously tipple their flasks into the punchbowl; hence the variegated nature of the Punch.