Gastro Obscura
Mr Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar
Rawtenstall, England
The last of the 19th-century booze-free bars has been slinging teetotal tonics for over a century.
Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health Impudicus/CC BY-SA 3.0 (Creative Commons)
Dr Alan P Newman (Atlas Obscura User)
2020 Dr Alan P Newman (Atlas Obscura User)
reley250 (Atlas Obscura User)
Taster selection provided FOC, 4 cold and 1 hot cordials Dr Alan P Newman (Atlas Obscura User)
The Radical Roots of Britain's Last Temperance Bar
It's now a monument to a forgotten campaign against alcohol.
Jenny Elliott May 4, 2021
Top Places in England
Chislehurst Caves
Chislehurst, England
Harvington Hall
Worcestershire, England
Paternoster Lift
Sheffield, England
Created during the temperance movement that swept through Lancashire, England and beyond near the end of the 1800s, Mr Fitzpatrick's was the only booze-free bar to survive through the years as customers drifted back to the bottle.
The quaint white storefront in the town of Rawtenstall first opened its doors in 1890 as part of a surge of dozens of Mr Fitzpatrick's bars springing up in the area. Mr Fitzpatrick's was inspired by the Methodist-backed Temperance Movement that sought to spread the gospel of moderation within the seemingly disastrous culture of drinking that prevailed at the time. To this end, Mr Fitzpatrick's and other tonic bars like it sold herbal drinks ranging from ginger beer and sarsaparilla to more exotic draughts like blood tonic and dandelion and burdock soda.
Unfortunately the allure of getting good and boozy proved too much for the movement that sustained many of the dry bars and most of all of them closed down save for the Rawtenstall Mr Fitzpatrick's bar which continued to thrive thanks to a devoted customer base.
Today, Mr Fitzpatrick's is the only remaining temperance bar from the era although brand new versions of the sober stores are beginning to appear. Mr Fitzpatrick's continues to sell its herbal drinks and healthy remedies and has seen a sharp increase in business in recent years, although it is unknown whether this is due to a resurgent interest in sobriety or whether their tasty drinks are being used as mixers in designer cocktails.
If you cannot decide what to buy they will provide a few tasters to make sure you buy the right stuff. The elderflower cordial and the "blood tonic" are both excellent. If they have it available do not miss the chocolate and vanilla cake. Up to 3 hours free parking nearby on James Street.
It is not easy to get to Rawtenstall by public transport from the nearest large city of Manchester. Try the tram to Bury and then a bus from the Bury interchange. Alternatively a historic preserved railway, The East Lancashire Railway, runs from Bury to Rawtenstall.
Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide
Introducing the definitive guide to the world's culinary wonders. Covering all seven continents, our new book serves up a loaded plate of incredible ingredients, food adventures, and edible wonders.
drinks bars alcohol food
alleywaykid
reley250, Dark Nebula Deluxe, Martin, Dr Alan P Newman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_bar
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/sep/03/temperance-drinks-everything-in-moderation
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241024/Owner-Britains-Temperance-Bar-extolled-virtues-abstinence-TV-chefs--banned-drink-driving.html
5 Bank Street
Rawtenstall, England, BB4 6QS
Holly Mount School Tower
'Halo'
Holden Wood Antiques
This tower is all that remains of a 19th-century schoolhouse that became a famous music venue before its destruction.
Haslingden, England
At night, the enormous sculpture looks like a UFO hovering above the English hills.
This antique shop and tea room reside inside a twice defunct church that was moved stone by stone to its current location.
Holcombe, England
Peel Monument
This landmark overlooking Ramsbottom pays homage to Sir Robert Peel, repealer of the Corn Laws.
El Batey
Everyone from Alan Ginsberg to The Rolling Stones has stopped by this classic dive bar.
The Tonga Hut
Though tiki culture has gone in and out of fashion, the Tonga Hut has always been flying the flag in Los Angeles.
Cleethorpes, England
The Signal Box Inn
This tiny business claims to be "the smallest pub on the planet."
Earnestine & Hazel's
The juke joint where legendary soul artists ate, drank, and made merry.
Appears in 2 Lists
6 Surviving Monuments From the Movement That Tried to Ban Booze
As we enter Dry January, check out these reminders of when the teetotalers came for the gin joints.
Diana Hubbell January 3, 2022
The Best British Pubs to Get Drunk on History
A 14-stop bar tour through Great Britain's past.
Kavya Ram Mohan May 18, 2017