Posted on 09/01/2009 8:30:57 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
PITTSBURGH (Reuters Life!) - Pittsburgh bartender Angelo Cammarata served his first beer a few minutes after Prohibition was lifted in 1933. Soon he will serve his last.
The 95-year-old, who is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest-serving bartender, only had one break in his career -- to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
When Prohibition ended he was working in his family's shop in Pittsburgh's North Side, selling 10-cent bottles of Fort Pitt Beer just past the stroke of midnight. He was 19, liquor laws were few, and patrons stood on the sidewalk, beers in hands.
"We had about 20 men standing outside waiting for us to open," Cammarata said. "That was the beginning of something."
The business sold 12 cases of beer in its first two hours.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Wish I could have been there. Remember, it is always last call SOMEWHERE in the world, even where alcohol is a no-no.
God bless him.
Alcohol...the CAUSE and SOLUTION to all of life’s problems......H. Simpson
Bump
76 years. Well that’s the spirit!
Sadly the old burgh taverns are disappearing.
They all have great food
Interesting number: 76.
As in 1776.
It isn’t a well-known fact, but beer is one of the provisions [rations for the army] he petitioned the congressional congress for. And, in the parades following the winning of our Independence, the beer-makers (brewers) were positioned in something like #16 (IIRC) in a procession (ranked by honor) of more than a hundred groups... because these groups were positioned by importance it is obvious that they were held in high regard.
Perhaps the army/navy wouldn’t have such a problem with over-drinking among the younger men if they WERE part of the rations. I certainly think that the somewhat tea-totaling attitude our society has towards ages younger than 21 contributes to the [binge-type] “drunken college student” stereo-type.
Yup, I love those country taverns in Wisconsin on a Friday Night that serve the best fish frys in world.
I die for!
All those old bars I went to when I worked in the steel mill, worked at the newspapers and went to college are closing down.
Yup! and Peroghies!
Awesome!
Now if only he gots paid well enough he could have retired
after 50 years.
I second that emotion. How "cool" can drinking be if you have some wine with your parents at dinner around, say, age 15?
Hey, there is always TGIF McChain Pub /s
Another thing that pisses me off is the different ages for things:
18 for smoking and voting... and being drafted.
21 for drinking!?
Is 18 the age of majority or not?
Stupid lawyers.
Thats the best job security I have heard of....bet there was no union....
It would be possible for an American to have had an even longer career, if during America’s Prohibition he had served as a bartender in Canada.
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