This was a term given to a saloon that was serving liquor without a liquor license. The exact origin and definition of a blind pig has been lost in saloon folklore but likely was first used in Chicago during the 1870s. perry R. Duis in his book The Saloon, states "and uncontrollable factor in the saloon business was the presence of unlicensed competitors." These places had to display a judicious mixture of enough anonymity and to avoid prosecution and sufficient publicity to attract business. In Boston they were called kitchen barrooms and out west, blind tigers. The Chicago origin of Blind Pig perhaps reflects its more rustic tendancies and its stockyard interests. The word "Blind" almost certainly refers to its semi-secret nature. One legend held that early in Chicago's history the police raided an illegal barroom marked by a sign with only the letters "A P G". When a newspaper reporter inquired about its ownership an officer answered "A PIG" with its "I" knocked out - hence the term "Blind Pig". Many years later Blind Pigs would become one of the slang terms for speakeasies of the prohibition era.








Before the stroke of midnight January 16, 1920 the saloon was a man's world. No respectable woman would be seen inside one. There were no bar stools, just brass foot rails. Saloon buildings had wood or tile floors with tall tin ceilings that would accommodate the majestic mahogany back bars. Labor intensive acts like horse-drawn deliveries of wooden barrels of beer were cooled by blocks of ice in wooden ice boxes. The smells of stale beer, cigars and whiskey mixed with gambling, pool, profanity and tobacco spitting at spittoons. It all came to an end with the Volsted Act of 1919; Prohibition put the end to the old-fashioned saloon. With the passage of the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment, prohibition ceased on December 5, 1933. Twelve years, ten months and nineteen days after it began. Post-prohibition saw many changes. The term saloon was no longer favortable and was now called a tavern. Gone were the spittoons and brass foot rails replaced by bar stools and women regulars. Nickel beer and free lunch were replaced with the cocktail. The ornate back bars lost favor to the streamline art deco and neon design that fit under an eight-foot ceiling. Cigarettes replaced cigars and juke boxes nickelodeons.


So please enjoy our saloon and Drink in the History...Feel the Authenticity of the pre-prohibition era.

We sincerely appreciate your business.

Griff Winters