They say there are two things you don’t discuss in a bar – religion and politics. I can’t say I’ve ever preached a sermon while drinking a cold one (though I’ve asked for God’s...

I love dive bars. There’s nothing better than sitting alone in a dark, cavernous, smelly old saloon on an afternoon, eating stale popcorn and drinking cheap beer. It may sound like hell to some, but...

It goes without saying that a bar is an important part of a neighborhood (hence the moniker, neighborhood bar). The people that frequent the place, those labeled as “regulars,” come from the surrounding areas, living...

Between 1820 and 1975, about 4.7 million people immigrated to America from Ireland. Today, over 31 million Americans report having Irish ancestry. No wonder the Irish pub is so popular in the US – over...

There’s a lot of variety when it comes to bars. Saloons, dives, cantinas, clubs, lounges - each different, with its own feel, its own music, even its own drinks. The funny thing is, people who...

Have you ever been to a bar on Christmas Day? I’ve spent a Christmas by myself before, and can tell you it’s a very depressing, very lonely experience. Had there been a welcoming saloon close...

This summer, I got to drink in a brewhouse from the 16th century. It was in Munich, and the place was an institution, a city landmark, proudly displayed on every map and in every guidebook...

April 30th, 2017 was a sad day for me. It wasn’t the tornados and flooding in the Midwest (though that was definitely tragic). Nor was it the news that Swiss Mountaineer Ueli Steck plummeted to...

Things didn’t look great for Barry Sandrow in 1971. At 38 years old, he’d bounced around the Philadelphia hospitality industry, like a rubber ball dropped by a toddler, landing erratically at this bar or that...