McSorley's Old Ale House. New York, NY

15 E 7th Street

Guinness (McSorley) Tag: $8.00 | Overall Rating: 8.05

Today's Dedicated Pint: Marjory Dury

McSorley's Old Ale House curb appeal and entrance sign with a weird guy staring at the lens

If you're reading this article that means McSorley's was slinging beer before your parents even considered you as an option! This cash only gem is not only the oldest running saloon in New York City, but also the longest running Irish Pub in the United States of America!

A man named John McSorley, born in Co.Tyrone, Ireland, in1827, hopped on a ship called The Colonist that departed from Liverpool and arrived in Ellis Island. In 1854 he opened the place up, naming it "The Old Ale House at Home." A decade later he turned the building into a 5-story apartment so him and his family could live upstairs for the world's quickest commute to work.

The reason the place is now called "McSorley's Old Ale House" is because the original front entrance sign had fallen down during a storm in the year 1908, which was replaced by a new sign with an ode to the family name. 2 years later, John McSorley died in his apartment on the second floor.

The place was originally a gathering hole for the blue-collar Irish workers with the philosophy of "Good Ale, Raw Onions, and No Ladies." It wasn't until 1970 when McSorley's finally started admitting women inside! Ironically enough, a woman named Dorothy O'Connell owned the bar from 1939 to 1974 and she never stepped foot inside the place during operating hours. When the bar declared to start allowing women inside, it was determined from everyone that she would be the first lady to share a pint with the guys to make for some neat history, although she refused the offer and continued staying outside the bar to keep her promise to her father that she would never drink a beer inside it. She had her husband act as operating manager and would only step foot inside on Sundays when the place was closed.

The fact that the oldest bar in New York City has Irish roots and an Irish name is amazing, so of course we had to belly up and check it out! When you walk inside you are immediately slapped in the face with history. You can feel the nostalgia in the air (I'm not kidding). It smells like an old antique store but in the best way possible. There's sawdust all over the floor (which obviously adds to the smell), there are pictures and authentic decor on quite literally every square inch of every wall, and the bar itself is perfectly worn in. It amazes me that the current bar itself is still standing after all of the spillage, I know it's probably not the original bar counter from the 1800s... or is it?

You have two options when ordering beer: light or dark. It'll come served to you in two pint glasses with about half-a-head of foam in each. It's McSorley's own famous ale/lager that was originally brewed in the Ale House's basement until the bastards enforced the prohibition. Once the dry spell was over, they had the beer made at a brewery down the street, to then a brewery in Brooklyn, to then Philadelphia, to now a place that you may know of as Pabst Blue Ribbon. You can purchase McSorely's Ale up and down the east coast in a bottle! The beer isn't anything to write home about, by the way, so don't travel here and expect your first sip to blow your taste buds out of the water.

The bartender who's normally behind the bar these days has been slinging drinks behind McSorley's for 51 years and counting! He's funny as hell, he's going to throw at least 5 F-Bombs throughout your visit, and he's no stranger to calling people out on their crap. I'd love to know how much he makes in cash tips each night... It's got to be one beautiful number, though! He deserves it.

Patrons go to McSorley's for the experience, as did we. If you want to embrace an abundance of history and spend a few hours in a timeless world then I'd 100% recommend that you stumble into McSorley's for a few pints. If you're looking for the Craic at a true authentic Irish Pub then McSorley's may not make the top of the list, but it's certainly on there. If you're in the Lower Manhattan area and only have time for one Irish Pub experience, then by all means; go to The Dead Rabbit.

Thank you, McSorley's! You're one of the most unique places I've ever drank a beer in! Slainte.