Repeal Day is December Fifth

See more General

Wow, I apparently thought it was still late-October or something, because it came as a complete surprise to me today that my favorite drinking holiday in the whole world is next weekend. I guess that between keeping my nose to the grindstone at work and traveling extensively lately, it was bound to happen. Then I found this email in my inbox:

Jeff,

What do you have in store for Repeal Day? It’s only 2 weeks away and you’ve been as quiet as a church mouse!

All the Best,

Kris

Gulp. Well, Kris, I’ll tell you. But first, a short primer for those who might not know what Repeal Day is all about. A few years ago, I wrote a piece on this website urging people to embrace a new celebratory holiday: the day Prohibition was repealed, December Fifth. It was something I’d been celebrating in my bars for years, but just threw up onto my blog for a lark. Well, the Internet went for it in a big way and suddenly people were taking Repeal Day seriously.

Cocktail bloggers celebrate Repeal Day at The Gibson

And so, to answer Kris’ question, I’m headed back to Washington, D.C. for the nation’s largest, most boisterous, celebration’est Repeal Day party, hosted by the DC Craft Bartenders Guild. Here’s what they themselves have to say about the shindig:

“The DC Craft Bartender’s Guild (DCCBG) is holding the Second Annual Repeal Day Ball on December 5th from 9 P.M. to midnight, celebrating the 76th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. Attendees will enjoy craft cocktails from the city and country’s best mixologists and food from renowned chef Peter Smith while dancing along to the Prohibition-era sounds of the Red Hot Rhythm Chiefs. The ball is black tie and will be held at PS7’s restaurant at 777 Eye Street, NW.

This year’s ball location is across from historic Calvary Baptist Church, the first national convention site of the Anti-Saloon League, which launched the legislative agenda for Prohibition. Of course, the DCCBG is pleased to announce our own agenda–to have fun! We will celebrate our freedom in style and have dubbed this year the “Spirit of 76” to commemorate the freedom to drink as adults, featuring our “Founding Drinkers” dressed as the founding fathers.

Dan Searing, vice president of the DCCBG and co-owner of Room 11, calls the event “…a celebration of one of our most important freedoms, to imbibe responsibly. A freedom our founding fathers celebrated enthusiastically.”

Come celebrate too with cocktail creations from local favorites Gina Chersevani, Derek Brown and Todd Thrasher, to name a few, along with special guests–bartending legend Dale DeGroff, nationally-renowned bartender Tad Carducci, and toastmaster Jeffrey Morgenthaler. We will also feature top spirit brands and a special rum and cigar lounge.

Tickets are $100 for general admission ($150 for VIP) and can be purchased online at www.dccraftbartendersguild.org. A portion of the final proceeds will go to benefit the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

4 Replies to “Repeal Day is December Fifth”

  • Carolyn says:

    We celebrated Repeal Day with about 25 of our friends, as an early Christmas Party. It was a great night! We had a big feast with a roasted goose and all the trimmings. My boyfriend whipped up some tasty cocktails (Manhattan, Martini, Aviation), impressing all our guests.
    We got to reconnect with people that we hadn’t seen in years and educate them on one of the brightest days in American history!

  • Rick says:

    SeanMike,

    The only reason he’s using that picture is because our stupidly, drunken expressions make him actually look good 🙂 Come to think of it, Jeff probably photoshopped in another picture to cover his sloshed visage 🙂

    Muchly looking forward to the ball!

  • Dina says:

    Jeff,
    I’m helping spread the word. Even posted it on my Facebook account. 🙂

  • SeanMike says:

    Man oh man, do Rick and I look drunk in that picture!

    Can’t wait to hopefully remember talking to you this time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *