Colonial Taverns - Food, Spirits and Socializing

Nothing compares to gathering with friends and family at a favorite restaurant for drinks, dinner, and lighthearted socializing. Eons before Chilis or the Olive Garden, people (mainly men) in Colonial Massachusetts would come together at a neighborhood tavern. The local tavern was not just a place to kibitz, tip a few or get a bite to eat; many served as a stagecoach stop for weary travelers as well.

Hawthorne People Watched at Taverns

Eating at a tavern typically entailed sharing your meal with others at a long table. Today we refer to this as family-style dinning. A wonderful article about Colonial taverns, written by Jack Larkin, and listed on the Massachusetts Old Sturbridge Village website, claims Puritan writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, had a tendency to dine alone.

As he gallivanted throughout Massachusetts and Maine, Hawthorne, apparently liked to sit alone and people watch. He would then pen his observations of human interaction in his journal. Nowadays, we observe someone making the eighth trip to the buffet and we text our friend about it on our Smartphone.

While it was standard for men to drink and converse at a tavern -- it was unlikely you would glimpse a female participating in this social practice. A woman travelling might stop to dine and if the tavern was adequate, she might take a room for a night, but carousing with the men would not be proper and out of the question. Well, for most women.

Food at an Early Tavern

Just as some restaurants serve better food than others do, so it went with taverns. My research uncovered that tavern food being good or bad, seems to depend on the tavern keeper -- also called a Tavener. I read an account of a tavern serving half-raw pigeon. A woman traveler opted to deal with her hunger rather than indulge in a meal of fowl that was not cooked. I hope the next stagecoach stop had better fare on their menu.

The article mentioned above, points out that detailed record keeping by one Massachusetts tavern owner, provides a factual look at the food and drink he purchased for his establishment. In the mid-1820s to the first part of the 1830s, he bought hefty quantities of pork, veal, beef and an occasional turkey.

Regularly, the tavern keeper purchased a good amount of chickens, too. I was surprised to learn that despite his tavern location being quite a distance from the ocean, he did on occasion, provide seafood. This included codfish, shad and haddock from Boston fish markets.

The tavern keeper purchased apples, both fresh and dried. I imagine the females used the apples for baking. Since he bought apples in such large quantities, perhaps he also used them to make Applejack -- a strong spirit made from fermented cider. He stocked up on potatoes, beans, and root vegetables, too. Root vegetables might be turnips, beets or parsnip.

Drink at an Early Tavern

During the Colonial period, men consumed alcohol on a daily basis. Moreover -- they drank a ton of it, too! Would you believe in 1700, a man averaged seven shots of alcohol a day? Mind you, that does not include hard cider or beer. There was a whole lot of drinking going on back then!

Along with a rum toddy, hard cider and beer, a man could order up other tavern favorites like Applejack and peach brandy.

Taverns were an integral part of Colonial life. Today, taverns are alive and well in Massachusetts. They serve buffalo chicken wings and potato skins instead of pigeon. Visiting a tavern is like a walk back in time. The best part is -- women are welcome now and tipping a few with the guys is permissible!

Sources:

http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/village_tour.html

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/In+Public+Houses%3A+Drink+and+the+Revolution+of+Authority+in+Colonial...-a020378654

http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php?DocID=631