I
first found Mahar’s on a house hunting trip back in the fall of 1997, a different
kind of bar that provided table service (if you turned on your light), no bar
stools (blocks traffic), and individual listing of all their beers (how many
zero lists have I printed for new comers since then?) customized for each
person. Jim Mahar did what I wanted to
do; travelling to find beers that he had never had before and then share those beers
with his friends. And he kept track of
them for you, which encouraged me to ALWAYS try something new (I'm what is known a tour slave). He introduced me to the concept of an English
Pub, a way of life that I fully endorse, and that there are no bad beers, just
beers that you don’t care for. So when I
received the news that Mahar’s is closing, it hit me kind of hard. I had been able to climb the Beer Tour to #5
(not bad when others had a 9 year head start) to buying over 6300 beers, many
for drinking at Mahar’s but just as many perhaps to take home and drink in the
privacy (and safety) of my own home. And
for Mahar’s last week, he had some special events planned to toast their send
off in style.
So
the Saturday crowd decided to have their last supper, in tribute to the
tradition that started many years ago.
Mahar’s hadn’t had a real food menu for some time, so the regulars
turned Saturday afternoon into a pot luck supper. The food was available to anyone, and it
became a tradition that everyone looked for to share. So this ”Last Supper” was extra special, a
chance to say good bye to folks that you may never get together with
again. I brought some Yancey Farms
cheese and crackers, my buddy Ted brought lasagna, the Queen of Mahar’s (a
local judge named Paula) brought a pie, another couple brought a plate of ribs
and still yet was some stuffed oysters.
For beer Mahar’s tapped a special cask from Middle Ages brewing (for years
the de facto Mahar’s brewer) called Mayan Apocalypse, a strong ale brewed with chilies
and chocolate. I was also able to get a
Flying Dog Pearl Necklace oyster stout on draft, and bottle of MacTarnahan’s
Goose Bump coffee Imperial Stout to take home with me (traditions never
die). I found myself shaking a lot of
hands, giving a few hugs, and wishing a lot of folks well. I was nostalgic, and more than a little bit
sad. But the week had just begun and I
was returning the following day for the last Mahar Shebeen.
A
Shebeen (Irish: sibín)
was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were
sold without a license. In our case, it
once referred to a party of food that you paid for where Jim would give the
guests some beer as a gift. The beers
were often beers that weren’t available in the great State of New York, but it
was all okay since they were gifts to the guests who had paid for the food that
was being served. So this final Shebeen
was a nod to the past, and Jenn and Jess excused me from the swim meet early so
that I could stop by with Jacob. The
place was packed, but with more people who weren’t regulars than were. 48 attendees, first come, first serve. So Jacob found a corner, and I got my
beers. Ten beers for the guests, but
only 5 of them were new for me. Most
notable was the Great Divide Orabelle and the Old Forge Overbite IPA. The food was a bit lacking (pizza came
later), and I decided to get a bottle of Alesmith Old Numbskull to share with
my friends. Again, the evening was a bit
melancholy and I spent most of my time soaking it all in. Jim was there, and it was great to have him
serve up the beer, just like old times.
Mahar’s
opened on Valentine’s Day back in 1989, and every year they have celebrated
their anniversary on this day dedicated to love. So this year they have stayed open long
enough to celebrate their 24th Anniversary, and since Jenn loves me
and I love beer, she let me go down for this final party. They opened early, and all the old timers
were there. I got a Sierra Nevada Big
Foot Barley Wine on draft (my last draft at Mahar’s) while waiting for the
festivities to begin. Jim planned to
release one new beer an hour, 8 new beers a day through Saturday. And then Sunday is the finale, St. Patrick’s
Day a month early. But my family had
plans, and this was my last day. At 4PM
they released the first of their new beers, a Finches Fascist Pig Strong Ale in
a can (my last can at Mahar’s). I got to
see Caitlin, Jim’s daughter, who now bartends (I first met her when she was
8). Josh came for a visit, a diehard Red
Sox fan who bartended for years. Paula
was there topping off her tour with 3941 beverages, Ted with 7857 beers and the
King of the tour, Dave Harding, with 9123 beers. Mahar’s dog Jade was even visiting, making
all the guests feel at home. My last
beer from Mahar’s was a Uinta Bristlecone Brown Ale, a beautiful English Brown
Ale that at 4% ABV was good for session drinking. I shook a lot hands on my way out, and said
goodbye to my neighborhood bar (21 miles away).
Over
the years Mahar’s help hone my appreciation for beer. My kids have grown up there, a family
friendly pub that taught togetherness and responsible drinking. I brought my brother here for his bachelor party, drinking fine beer before going home and getting clobbered playing Halo. Their other bar in Castleton will continue
“The List” for a while, but it won’t be the same. But I guess that is the point; nothing lasts
forever. So if you have something you
care about in your life, be sure to appreciate while it is still here. Good luck to Jim, Laurie, Caitlin, Devin,
Bill, Ciaran, Josh, Mike, and all my friends that I have shared a bit of myself
with over the years while sipping some of the finest (and not so fine) beers in
the world! – 6311/13505“A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation.” – William Blake
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