Tutors & Taverns: 250 Years of Teaching at Rutgers

71 Somerset Street,Somerville NJ 08876

09 October, 2021

Description

Return to the birthplace of Queen's College to observe 250 years of teaching at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Academic instruction at Rutgers began 250 years when Old Dutch Parsonage's Frederick Frelinghuysen offered the first tutorials for Queen's College at the Sign of the Red Lion Tavern in New Brunswick in November 1771. On Saturday and Sunday special historic houses tours explore the Dutch roots of the State University of New Jersey at Old Dutch Parsonage and New Jersey's early leadership in American higher education at Wallace House. On Sunday visit our "Sign of the Red Lion" Interpretive Center for “The Lure and Lore of Liquor: Tavern Beverages of the American Revolution" with historian and mixologist David Emerson. Many people know that our Revolution was fomented in the famous taverns of Colonial America – City Tavern of Philadelphia, Boston’s Green Dragon, and the Raleigh in Williamsburg. But other than politics, what was fueling the debates between the Sons of Liberty or the Virginia Burgesses? Join historian and mixologist (yes, indeed) David Emerson in a lively exploration of Colonial drinking customs along with a bit of their social and political context. The talk will include discussion of the various types of beverages available to the 18th Century tavern tippler, how they were made, and even some recipes that you can try on your own (if you dare). Discover our forefathers’ alternative to the modern Mohito and Martini, and what Ben Franklin considered “The Proof of God’s Love.” This event is part of Somerset County's Weekend Journey Through the Past. Made possible with funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.