2025 Fall Speaker Series | The Flowing Bowl: A History of Punch

During the colonial period, punch was the centerpiece of many celebrations and it was often served in taverns. Join Catherine Prescott, Chief Curator at Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center, to dive into the history of punch, which represented an increasingly interconnected world in the 1700s. Enjoy a taste of an 18th-century punch recipe as part of the talk.

About the Speaker

Catherine Prescott is the Chief Curator and Assistant Museum Director at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center where she is responsible for overseeing the care and interpretation of nearly 15,000 historical objects, photographs, and archives, including the development of the museum’s award-winning exhibition series #HandsOnHistory. Catherine earned a B.A. in Archaeology from Hamilton College and an M.A. in Archaeology and Museum Studies from the George Washington University. In her career as an archaeologist and museum curator, she has worked with material culture objects from 6000 BP to the 20th century.
Catherine’s recent research has focused on food history and using food and drink as a way to foster empathy and connections across time and place. Interacting with food may be as close to a universal human experience as can be had. Catherine co-hosts the popular virtual series Taproom Tastings that investigates historic food and drink culture and explores how food and drink have long been central to building and maintaining community and cultural identity.

About the 2025 Fall Speaker Series – At the Tavern

Join the Fairfield Museum for a series inspired by our new exhibition Eat, Drink, and Start a Revolution! Taverns & the American Revolution. Colonial taverns were the center of social and political life throughout New England. The series explores popular food and drink served in taverns while showcasing taverns as vital community hubs. Co-sponsored by Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center.

Additional Lectures in the Series:

November 23 | A Taste of the New England Tavern | Keith Stavely & Kathleen Fitzgerald

January 11 | The American Revolution Wasn’t Fueled by Water! Rum, Cider, and the Punch of Independence | Matthew Warshauer

Light refreshments provided. Registration is required. Per talk: $15 for Members, $20 for Non-Members; Series: $45 for Members; $55 for Non-Members.

Ticketing Policy

• No refunds will be given unless the program is cancelled by the Fairfield Museum.
• We do not pro-rate fees for missed days of the series.