Repeal Day Drinking: Where to Celebrate
It’s Repeal Day—where are you celebrating? This year marks the 79th anniversary of the end of Prohibition, and plenty of spots around the country are toasting the occasion—here are a few places to get a taste of the action.
San Francisco
The Cantina crew in San Francisco’s Union Square is turning their Repeal Day celebration into a full-on costume ball and dj dance party with all proceeds benefiting the Barbary Coast Conservancy of the American Cocktail. Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Get there: 580 Sutter St., San Francisco; 415-398-0195; cantinasf.com
Olympia, Washington
Don your best flapper gear and dapper duds and head to one of the largest Repeal Day celebrations on the West Coast, complete with pre-Prohibition-era cocktails, live music and a photo booth.
Get there: 206 5thAve., Olympia, Washington; facebook.com/repealprohibitiondayolympia
Brooklyn, New York
Julie Reiner’s cocktail bar stirs things up 1930s-style with a live orchestra, classic cocktails and a racy bit of burlesque.
Get there: 210 Smith St., Brooklyn, New York; 718-855-7939; cloverclubny.com
Portland, Oregon
The tiki craze hit soon after Prohibition came to a close, and this Portland tiki oasis offers a tropical twist on the evening’s festivities with special $9 swizzles, punches and slings.
Get there: 2733 NE Broadway, Portland, Oregon; 503-662-8454; halepele.com
Boston
At 6:31 p.m. (the precise time the first legal drink was served in Boston following the end of Prohibition), The Hawthorne bar kicks off its Repeal Day party with a special cocktail menu, food and a copy of Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits for each attendee, with ticket proceeds supporting the USBG New York and industry folk affected by Sandy. Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Get there: 500A Commonwealth Ave., Boston; 617-532-9150; thehawthornebar.com
This midtown Sacramento cocktail bar plans to toast the occasion with a special firkin tapping while also raising funds for the Bartender’s Relief Fund.
Get there: 1910 q St., Sacramento; 916-706-2465; pourhousesacramento.com
Waterbury, Vermont
This Waterbury watering hole plans to extend its Repeal Day celebrations from today through Saturday with rare beers, special cocktail pairings and drinks on draft.
Get there: 23 S. Main St., Waterbury, Vermont; 802-244-4120; prohibitionpig.com
Santa Fe, New Mexico
New Mexico had the misfortune of entering the Union just as the temperance movement took hold of the nation, but those days are long gone, and this historic hotel bar will be toasting the end of the Noble Experiment with a celebration that kicks off at 5 p.m.
Get there: Inside the Hotel St. Francis, 210 Don Gaspar Santa Fe, New Mexico; 505-983-5700; hotelstfrancis.com
South Tampa, Florida
This South Tampa cocktail bar and restaurant has selected nine classics from the cocktail books and plans to serve each for just $5 a pop all night long.
Get there: 2208 W. Morrison Ave., South Tampa, Florida; 813-258-2233; sideberns.com
Seattle
Seattle’s recently reopened Vessel promises to party like it’s 1933 with special drink menus and overall imbibing merriment going on until the wee hours of the morn.
Get there: 624 Olive Way, Seattle; 206-623-3325; vesselseattle.com
And for our roundup of Repeal Day-inspired cocktails, click here.