Badger Bars & Tavern Tales: An Illustrated History of Wisconsin Saloons (Paperback)

by Bill Moen (Author), Doug Davis (Author) "The drinking history of Wisconsin probably started in 1634 when a canoe riding, beaver-seeking, French fur trader named Jean Nicolet might have taken a long..." (more)
Key Phrases: wildcat breweries, sporting house, wine room, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, Dew Drop Inn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Journey back to the days when neighborhood taverns were the social hubs of all small towns. Relive the days when wild revelry was the norm. Old newspaper articles and photos are highlighted throughout the book. Interviews with "old-timers" give a personal glimpse into the days when Wisconsin was wild. Taverns and towns throughout the state are featured.

Product Details

• Paperback: 169 pages
• Publisher: Guest Cottage (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930596200
• ISBN-13: 978-1930596207
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,406 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pub crawl across Wisconsin in times gone by..., October 16, 2004

By	Steven M. Stenslie (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thanks to a abberation in drinking age laws between Minnesota and Wisconsin in the late 70s, I spent a GREAT deal of time in Wisconsin taverns in my late teens, so I consider myself something of an expert on the subject. This book is a fantastic, politically incorrect primer on the taverns of the land of cheese, beer and Packer fans. Come on - if you think of beer, Wisconsin automatically comes to mind, doesn't it? If you're somewhere else in America, say San Diego or Charlotte, and have never spent a frigid January Saturday night getting tipsy in a little hole-in-the-wall in the woods surrounded by earflapped yokels who have that "yah, shure!" accent just like in the movie "Fargo", this book is as close as you're gonna get. The pages bring you back to another time, before globalization and homogenization and satellite communication where "local flavor" (good or bad) actually meant something. It's obvious that this is a labor of love for the authors - they laugh along with you at the bizarre promotional ideas some of these taverns had, yet, deep down, you know they admired their threadbare earnestness. Each tavern a unique, flawed jem (well, OK, some are just plain rocks) with story after story. This is a natural for anyone interested in breweriana, Wisconsin, or a swig of the barley pop over the third Ole and Lena joke of the night - a classic!