Detroit Drinks History

Beer and baseball go together like...well, beer and baseball. And breweries in Detroit, like elsewhere, were major early sponsors of Tigers baseball. They also drove ad sales national, which was partially responsible for the death of hyper-local beer in the 60s and 70s. We're also covering two iconic Detroit baseball bars: Hoot Robinson's and the Lindell AC. I talk with Tom Derry of the Historic Hamtramck Stadium about their renovation efforts and about the famous Babe Ruth Birthday Party's origins. 

“They say some of my stars drink whiskey. But I have found that the ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ball games.” ― Casey Stengel   Baseball and drinking go together like...well, what's better than a beer and a ball game? Ever since the 19th century, America's game has been intertwined with booze: players drank (often copiously) and spectators made it an integral part of the experience. In its early days, though, baseball came under fire from Temperance advocates and church-goers for promoting waywardness. The battle over Sunday ball games lasted well into the 20th century. Detroit's ball teams got around this by hosting Sunday games outside of the city limits, complete with wildcat bleachers and brothel brawls. They also brought in some legal drinking to our old ball parks, from Southwest Detroit and Midtown to Bennett Park at the storied corner of Michigan and Trumbull.     This episode covers Detroit's baseball and drinking history up to Prohibition. I talk with author Anna Clark, who is working to re-contextualize the reputation of legendary, notorious, and somewhat misrepresented Tiger Ty Cobb. After a brief detour into the suffragist origins of your favorite baseball song, we wrap up the episode discussing why former ball player Billy Sunday thought Detroit boys and girls were going straight to Hell.    Detroit Drinks Baseball History Part 2 will cover 1933 to the present. We'll dive into dives like the Lindell AC and Hoot Robinson's, talk about the connection between breweries and baseball, and I'll chat with Tom Derry, founder of the unique celebration of Babe Ruth's birthday, going strong in Detroit for 30 years now. 

Detroit's pretty good at getting its drink on. For our first episode, we explore the early drinking days in Detroit, which set us on a path of corruption, smuggling and revelry. From there, the 19th century saw a rousing hotel scene. By the early 20th century, Detroit was well on its way to earning its reputation for ingenuity, inventiveness and salesmanship. Three signature cocktails, each very different in content and execution, put Detroit on the world map. We'll learn the history of each one of these: the Last Word, the Bull Shot, and The Hummer, and how they've cemented Detroit's reputation as a hub of innovation. Finally, I talk with Nick Britsky, host of Nick Drinks, about the last ten years of cocktail history in Detroit, and where the city's exciting bar scene is heading next. Learn more + connect: Detroit Drinks History

Detroit Drinks History is a podcast where historian Mickey Lyons and friends unpack the complex, compelling history of Detroit as seen through a slightly foggy drinking glass. Along the way, we'll discover what it was like to live — and drink — through some of the city's most interesting and challenging events.