Public House 101

When visiting an unfamiliar city or town, whether it be here in New Hampshire, a palm-filled tropical getaway or across the pond to Europe, I usually do some advance scouting online for two things: restaurants and pubs. Not only do I want some readily findable spots given the rigors of travel and the need for sustenance and beverages immediately upon arrival, I also try to find establishments known as the local hub. The places that will give you a real feel for the people there. Hopefully they're welcoming and friendly with locals willing to share favorite haunts and adventures. The trip is then starting off on the right foot. That welcoming establishment which provides both alcohol to calm our rattled travel nerves and food to fill our bellies after probably only munching on dry packets of crackers handed out by flight attendants is an oasis. The food selection might be rather narrow but there's usually something hearty everyone can enjoy. The concept of alcohol getting top billing with food secondary in importance is what's known as a pub, tavern or bar. Historically, and perhaps originally, a public house. According to "Where Do Pubs Come From – 2,000 Year History of Public Houses" by Liz Utkina at www.monksmeadery.com (Georgia's first meadery in Atlanta), pubs can be traced back 2,000 years to the Roman era. And, as so much of world culture can trace back to Roman roots, so do taverns. As Romans conquered a good portion of Europe, pubs began popping up in the occupied areas as well. Here in the US, our style of taverns and bars is very much British influenced, but it was the Romans who first introduced them to the Brits. According to Wikipedia, the word "pub" is simply short for public house. The term was coined in the late 17th century to differentiate between private homes and homes which were open to the public and sold ale and other alcohol. Entrepreneurial homeowners could augment their agricultural or labor salaries with a very profitable bar in the front room of their home. A bush was placed over the doorway of a public house to alert thirsty folks that alcohol was sold there. Ale was native to the British long before the Roman Empire descended and took over. The arrival of the Romans brought along the construction of roadway networks which then ushered in taverns or tabernae. The word "tavern" is the modern-day English version. Public houses served as community gathering spots, much as they do now, but in post-Roman Empire times, important community discussions and decisions would be made. Basically like town hall meetings with ale and wine served. You might wonder where the word "bar" comes from in regard to drinking establishments. Well, according to Wiki, "bar" is short for barrier and refers to the metal bar or rod that usually extends the length of a bar and is both an actual and symbolic barrier between the patrons and the barkeeps. Interestingly, in NH, an establishment that serves hard liquor must also sell food. Technically, 50% of their sales must come from food. That's according to a 2017 article, "Why Do All NH Bars Have to Sell Food" transcribed from a broadcast piece by Taylor Quimby on NHPR. After prohibition ended and the 21st Amendment passed in 1933, states were given three choices regarding alcohol: They could still ban all alcohol sales (a dry state); they could license private stores to sell liquor; or the states themselves could take over liquor sales as state-run liquor stores. NH chose the latter. So, restaurants had to buy alcohol directly from the state to then re-sell as cocktails. At first, only actual restaurants could serve alcohol of any type meaning there were no stand-alone drinking establishments. Over the years, laws have been tweaked a bit and beer and wine can be sold at businesses without the food requirement. A basic bar menu typically includes burgers and sandwiches, soups and fried foods. Top that off with a cocktail, a draft beer or a glass of wine and you're doing as the Romans do!