December 03, 2004
Mixing history and beer at Fraunces Tavern
New Yorkers have a long history with the drink. How long? Just spend a little time at the Fraunces Tavern Museum, the spot where Gen. Washington bid farewell to his troops after the Brits finally left in 1783. There's a full restaurant and bar downstairs, while two upper floors is devoted to the museum. The long tavern room in the museum is set up to look like it would have back in Washington's day -- a place for drinking, gaming, business meetings and a perch to watch the cargo arrive in the harbor. The city's wells weren't known for their sanitation, so stronger stuff was safer. From the museum's info cards: When Samuel Fraunces first came to New York in 1755, the city already boasted 217 taverns to serve a population of 13,000 residents. ... Drinking was a major part of social life in 18th Century America. The average adult consumed nearly four gallons of hard liquor per year, in addition to perhaps 14 gallons of beer and hard cider. ... Among the most popular drinks in a tavern such as this would have been punch, made from rum, water, sugar, citrus fruit and spices, (usually nutmeg.) Originally opened in 1762, Fraunces Tavern calls itself the "oldest public building tavern" in the city. If you insert other qualifiers in there, like speakeasy, or continually operating, it shares honors with places such as Fanelli's, McSorley's and the Bridge Cafe.
December 3, 2004 09:09 PM in Downtown, Drinkology, History
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