Today’s seminar, History of Saloons in America was a fascinating journey from the earliest alehouses in jolly old England to the modern San Francisco saloon Elixir.

The session was paneled by H. Joseph Ehrmann (owner/operator of Elixir in San Francisco), David Wondrich (author of Imbibe) and John Burton (bar management consultant hailing from California.)  The panel discussed the history of what were to become the American versions of saloons.  These included the alehouse, where women would brew ale and sale to the thirsty travelers passing through; the tavern, a more upscale alehouse which could also sell wine and focused on a more upper-crust clientele; and the tea/coffee house model that catered to intellectuals and served punch along with other tasty beverages.

The tea/coffee house model from the U.K. and Europe were the models on which the American saloons were fashioned.   The mid-Atlantic region was the predominate region in shaping East Coast saloons.  As the population moved west for expansion and the search for riches, saloons went along.   It was fascinating to learn how the profession changed into a predominately male profession and how important bars and saloons were to the communities they served.   Not only could someone get a drink, but some saloons loaned money, provided shelter and offered female companionship to those who could pay.  Many saloons offered tokens that were worth a certain amount, payable to the saloon for drink, food or women.  The tokens ranged in value from 5.5 cents to a “bit” which was worth 12.5 cents.  The best saloons were called “two-bit” saloons because their drinks cost 25 cents each.  Funny how now the term “two-bit” usually refers to something cheap.

The session was informative and a lot of fun.  The panelists were engaging and seemed to be truly interested in the history of drinking establishments.  H. Joseph Ehrmann even discussed the history of his modern saloon Elixir dating back to the gold rush era San Francisco.  During the session we were served an old fashioned, a pisco punch and a rum punch.  All three were delicious and apropos for the history we were learning.

These historical sessions were ones I was very excited to attend.  This one certainly lived up to my personal excitement.

Cheers!

One of the most fascinating aspects of the resurgence of cocktail culture is the emphasis on the history surrounding everything. The history of various ingredients, collecting ancient tomes of recipes, and learning about the early bartenders (whose work in the late 19th century influences countless bartenders in the present) are just a few topics that professionals and home enthusiasts can spend hours discussing.

But what happens when the classic tomes offer slight variations of the same drink? How can a modern practitioner replicate a cocktail when the methods, or oftentimes particular ingredients, are obscure or unclear? Should today’s drink-slinger try to understand the original intent of those early authors in order to, if not identically replicate a cocktail, at least come close and add an extra tool to one’s bag of tricks?

These questions and more will be discussed at the Historical Approach to Cocktails seminar at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail. The session is moderated by one of Washington, DC’s top craft bartenders and jack of all trades, Derek Brown. The panelists are a who’s-who of cocktail historians including international mixologist Fernando Castellon, creator of Bar Expertise Company and a student of drinking in various cultures; Phil Greene, a founding member of the Museum of the American Cocktail, cocktail writer and historian and a descendant of Antoine Amédée Peychaud, the creator of Peychaud’s Bitters; and David Wondrich, author of Imbibe! From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to Professor Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar.

The seminar is intended to further the appreciation of classic cocktails and their contribution to today’s cocktail culture. Brown states that he hopes attendees will “appreciate the history of great cocktails and how understanding the author’s intent and reasons for their choices we can re-imagine those cocktails, or in some cases, reclaim the methods used to make them.” To illustrate the historical points during the session, Brown and the panelists will discuss and demonstrate the Gin Cocktail, the Rickey, the Sidecar and the Sazerac.

Says Brown, “It sounds a bit dry but it should be a lively debate and very relevant to craft bartending today. No matter how geeky we get, we know the point of cocktails are to enjoy oneself.”

I don’t think I could have said it better!

Historical Approach to Cocktails takes place Saturday, July 11, in the Queen Anne Ballroom at the Hotel Monteleone. Tickets may be purchased here.