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Much of the rum produced in colonial New England was consumed domestically, sometimes in punch, a popular celebratory, and often communal, drink. Believed to derive from the Sanskrit word pañca, meaning five, punch was made from water mixed with ingredients central to the era’s commercial shipping expeditions—citrus fruit, rum, sugar, and spices. Many Chinese porcelain punch bowls made for export to the West found their way to Providence through maritime activities known as the China Trade, which brought prosperity to many residents of the city.

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