Dive Bars, Gin Mills, Tap Rooms, Watering Holes ? Joints with Us for Life

Like many things in life, you never forget your “firsts.”? They’re rights of passage in your march toward adulthood.? The mystique of achieving certain “first” milestones is a powerful tug.? The anticipation and fear of the unknown looms large.? If you’re of a certain age, getting served alcohol at a bar was the ultimate acknowledgement of arriving as a wannabe grown-up.? A sense of truly belonging.?

Who doesn’t remember the feeling when entering the darkly lit, beer smelling, sticky-floored bars of yesteryear with serious men holding court on the bar stools shooting disapproving looks at you?? You were invading their space.? You so wanted to be a part of this scene yet felt like doing the Cowardly Lion sprint right out of the joint after seeing the Wizard.? Being inside the bar was like your very own land of Oz.

Things were different back in the 70s when I became 18, the legal drinking age.? Police often just looked the other way.? Bars were numerous on nearly every city street corner.? If you wanted to eat, chips and pretzels were the scant dining options. The moniker “gastropub” was decades from being coined.? Schaefer, Rheingold and Ballantine were the most popular beers of choice. ?You’d receive a snicker or a look of disdain if you ordered an imported beer.? IPA’s might as well have been an acronym for a government program.? Most establishments had shuffleboard – long tables caked with sawdust or the electronic version where you’d spend long periods battling Flash and Strike 90 games.? Music came from juke boxes, not Sirius or Spotify. ?Picture Martini’s bar in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”? The allure of being a part of this scene was powerful.?

Each is uniquely personal – be it your hometown bar, college drinking spot, or your go-to establishment for an adult beverage after work. They hold a special place in our collective hearts of yesteryear memories stored away.?

My first bar experience was at the Wepawaug located on the mighty Wepawaug River in Milford, Connecticut at the innocent age of 16 (closer to 17 if truth be told).? Affectionally known as the “Wep,” they served all comers if you had the money.? Twenty-five cents bought you a 7-ounce draft.? Being the tallest and most mature looking among my friends, they sent me in first.? If I got served it was the signal for them to join me.? My buddies and I spread around our business and allegiances.? Bull and Bear was a go-to for many of us from Milford High School, or Lasse’s (still going strong in 2024) if we wanted a roast beef sandwich washed down with Miller drafts. ??Pitchers were only $1.00. Televisions were black and white and the reception snowy.? Sometimes we’d venture into the Office (great brand name) and Jake’s if one of our fathers happened to be there holding court and, most importantly, buying.? In our 20s our allegiances shifted over to Jock and Jill’s and Nick and Neil’s for the extra hour of drinking until 3:00 am.

At Setonia, we were fortunate to have our own pub (both during regular hours and also after hours if you knew the right people with access.) Problem was I couldn’t partake there early in my freshmen year as I didn’t turn 18 until mid-October.? Not really a problem, Shennigan’s and Corcoran’s filled the void.? Memories indelibly etched for a lifetime.? There’s nothing like sitting at a bar with buddies busting one another’s chops or striking up a conversation with a total stranger.? Bars can bring people together.? Establishments like the Windmill in Stratford, Connecticut straddle the fine line between keeping the neighborhood bar tradition alive, yet appealing to a broader audience with good food and entertainment.? A delicate balancing act.

Fewer and fewer bars dot the landscape today.? It’s sad in many ways.? Today, serving good pub food is mandatory as is having a vast selection of brews on tap. ?Multiple TVs beam in games from near and far. ?Closing hours are likely to be 10:00 p.m. rather than 2:00 a.m.? It’s all about the experience.? In many ways, brew pubs are the new iteration of what bars used to be.? Spartan amenities with emphasis on the product – the beer.? It’s not a bad thing, just different.

The next time you’re out for dinner, why not sit at the bar.? Strike up a conversation with the barman or the people sitting next to you.? Buy them a drink. ?Experience what’s great about the bar experience.? Drink up, the next round is on me.