Some Colonial Pubs Still Exit In Beantown
It all started with the earliest Bostonians.
During the time of the American Revolution, there were 16 breweries in Boston.
Sixteen!
The seaport was thriving with taverns, many with interesting names and colorful signs to attract both sailors and settlers.
John Hancock used to put kegs on the Boston Common then invite the townspeople to his golden-domed house for late-night parties. “Come one, come all!”
Even Paul Revere, on the evening of his famous Midnight Run, twice stopped at the pubs before delivering his message to the people. After all, Boston was originally marshland and beer tasted better than the salty drinking water.
You’ll find a lot of these pubs today, mainly in the Faneuil Hall area.
The Green Dragon, across the street from its original site, was a very popular watering hole for people to gather to complain about taxes and the British. So, too, was the Bell in Hand Tavern, which is still in its original location across from the Green Dragon.
It would be impossible to visit Boston and not at least get a beer – and a bowl of chowder – at the Union Oyster House. This legendary landmark, in the heart of the historic Faneuil Hall area, is the oldest continuous bar and restaurant in the U.S., having opened in 1826 (there’s a lot of “oldest in the US” in Boston). The building has been around since the 1770s. In the restaurant’s original days, the boats would practically dock at the rear entrance to bring in the day’s catch. Today, the decor hardly seems to have changed as the red brick walls and thick wood floors seem to have been here forever. The chowder is served with cornbread 3-4 inches high. But of course it’s the oysters that made this place famous, and they shuck ’em frequently. Hey, it worked for Daniel Webster, who reportedly slurped down about three dozen during his frequent visits (they say he washed ’em down with brandy).
The best place to experience the Union Oyster House is at the oyster bar overlooking the street. The “oystertenders” can also be quite entertaining. There’s only about 10 seats, though, around this famous horseshoe. Expect long dinner waits, especially on weekends.
And if you’re looking for the “Cheers” bar (which of course has nothing to to with the Revolution), there’s a replica of it in Quincy Market tho the original, originally called the Bull & Finch, is in the basement of the Hampshire House on Beacon Hill.
PubClub.com’s favorite Boston watering hole is in this area, the Beacon Hill Pub.
But no matter where you throw back your pints, the history of the forefathers is forever around you in Boston.
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