Congress Street Up's New Menu
The Prohibition museum is America's only prohibition-era museum. Walk through the history of banning alcohol consumption as a threat to the nation, and the resistance against the 18th Amendment. Start at the early 1900's strikes, and public outcry, through a time where citizens were arrested for vandalism in their protests, and into the history of classic Southern Rum Runners, all the way to the distillation of moonshine in the 1920's.
The museum isn't the only thing located at 209 West St. Julian St.. Congress Street Up is, essentially paying homage to prohibition style drinking by day, and becomes a bar that improves upon history and classic cocktail standards by night.
As long as the sun is shining the bar serves cocktails known to the early 1900's style drinking, and when the sun goes down (and the freaks come out) Congress Street Up becomes a place for Prohibition era ideas that influence the drinks.
Need a suggestion? How about the Love, Eleanor? This drink is a theoretical letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. This token of love is bourbon forward, with bitter and slightly sweet notes, meant to highlight the strong personality of Eleanor and the tumulutous relationship between the two.
These drinks are a craft, they are a work of art. Warren Cooey, bar manager and drink-maker (he hates the term "mixologist") has an extensive new drink menu to be displayed with a myriad of drinkable artworks, like the S.S. Europa. a drink inspired by John F. Kennedy's father's ship, or the Mr. Dillinger, a dill-flavored cocktail named after John Dillinger himself.
Drinking, too, is treated like an art. The glasses are vintage and collectible drinkware. The spirits are inspired by the times, so there is no fooling the patrons that history and innovation run through the bar and everything there is to drink. Old Overhold was a Rye Whisky sold during prohibition by prescription only because of its medicinal properties. You can drink it now and no doctor's note necessary.
This bar is ideal for both tourists and locals alike. Everyone is welcome and can have a drink (and a barstool) to call their own.
