March 02, 2005
The 50-cent short beer still exists in Brooklyn
For another look back at New York drinking nostalgia, go no farther than last weekend's New York Times. The Grey Lady finds several places keeping old drinking traditions alive, such as the "short beer." This wonderful drink, which can still be had for 50 cents at places like Kelly's Tavern in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is a dignified holdover from an age before the mighty pint became the irreducible unit of consumption. The short beer is a mere half-mug, served more often than not in a small stemmed glass, and it remains the order of choice for scores of seasoned old drinkers who like to know they can still buy a round for the house once in a while. Behind the portal of many an unfashionable old bar awaits the not inconsequential delight of being able to enjoy a night of drinking in New York without using up a $10 bill. And more sadly, for serious drinkers at least, is the Prohibition-era past on Staten Island:Also in the category of places you wouldn't mind taking your grandmother to for a drink is Schaffer's Tavern, in the Westerleigh section of Staten Island. Unlike the Five Corners, Schaffer's is in a neighborhood that was once famous for its sobriety: A beachhead for the temperance movement, Westerleigh briefly went by the far more dour name Prohibition Park, and many nearby streets, like Neal Dow Avenue, are named for prominent prohibitionists. Earlier: Drinking with Sadie the Goat on Water Street
March 2, 2005 10:46 PM in Drinkology, History, Out of Manhattan
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