Fruit Punch was Invented by Sailors Because Beer Kept Going Bad

A common childhood beverage is fruit punch. That intensely red, extremely sweet combination, which may contain all of the fruits combined. However, its roots are not as wholesome as you may imagine and are pretty shady. Tailoring used to be an incredibly difficult profession. Pirates, storms, scurvy, and poor beer were all concerns in the 1600s. Your beer got worse the longer you were at sea. Skunky beer is unpleasant if you've ever had it. Therefore, sailors need a different beverage. The solution was fruit punch.

Punch's original 1638 recipe called for "aqua vitae (essentially powerful alcohol), rose water, citrus juice, and sugar." Punch made alcohol more palatable at the time since alcohol, particularly rum, was unpleasant to consume straight. In essence, they were attempting to blend extremely potent and abrasive spirits into a more delicate type of wine.

The citrus aided in scurvy prevention at sea. At social gatherings, the wealthy displayed their enormous punch bowls because it had become the in-thing to drink at home. Soon after, versions with less alcohol and more juices were created, and this helped modern fruit punch gain popularity.