Kicking back with a whiskey in a dive bar might be a casual part of your evening now but it wasn’t quite as straightforward back in 1920’s America.
If your knowledge of the 1920-1930’s era is shady and you’re a fan of whiskey, now’s the time to step it up a notch with this brand new Hell’s Kitchen dive bar tour. Guided by Aaron Tabackman, founder and principal guide of Urban Village Tours, it’s set to offer a lighthearted, humorous, and unpretentious look back at the rise and fall of these times with a taste of Seagram’s 7 whiskey to get started!
This tour will take you right back to the origin of the spirit. You’ll be shown some historical spots around Hell’s Kitchen while stepping into some great dive bars en route. And so if you’re familiar with the area, you’ve likely heard of some of the places that you’ll be crossing.
If not, we’ll give you some examples: Wander past The Windmere, The Hit Factory Apartments, Daily Show Studios, and Central Park Horse Stables. You’ll also hear about the New Yorker Magazine founding location, Restaurant Row, Film Center Building, Actor’s Studio, The Intrepid, and more. So when we say it’s a jam-packed tour full of knowledge, you know we’re not exaggerating!
Over the course of two hours, learn how Hell’s Kitchen has been transformed over the years into the crazy place that it is now. Take a look at the era of Prohibition but, more importantly, learn about the characters involved and what followed afterwards in the Post Prohibition era.
Whiskey during this early time might have been prosperous, but it wasn’t without its risks. As you delve into different dive bars, learn about the nature of Rumrunning, where the liquor came from, its questionable quality, what vessels were used to get it to New York and where they came into port. There’ll also be talk of bootleggers, flapper girls and the best whiskey in Hell’s Kitchen that you can enjoy nowadays.
As you approach the first bar, the Prohibition part of the tour will transition to chronicle the area of Hell’s Kitchen in 1934 when Seagram’s 7 Crown was founded and the post-Prohibition period that followed, leading up to World War II. This was the time when the Hell’s Kitchen area transitioned from illegal speakeasies to the Dive Bars that we see all over New York City today. It’s a great way to get a new feel for an area surrounded with history.
This article was sponsored by Seagram’s 7. Prohibition era dive bar tours will run from Thursday April 18 and tickets can be purchased here. 21+ only. Please drink responsibly. Tasting open to general public and not included in cost of ticket. For all the facts, visit DrinkAware.com