Modern Drunkard Magazine says its roots stretch back 100 years to a publication in Boston known as Genteel Drunkards Drink at Hiram Rich's Real Irish Saloon, which started as a response to a Boston Globe writer's (Mr. Hollis') printed criticism of Hiram Flannery Rich's saloon. Link. Excerpt:
The first editions were, quite frankly, mostly obscenity-laden editorials about customers who snuck dogs into his saloon or owed him money, with the occasional think-piece about what horrific tortures and tribulations could be visited upon the aforementioned Mr. Hollis. Over time, however, Hiram started including less personal articles, including, “The Art of Headthumpery,” “How to Spot a Harlot,” and inventive cocktail recipes involving copper polish and various solvents.
When he lost his saloon in the Great Fire of 1909, Hiram shortened the name to The Genteel Drunkard, hired a small staff, and launched a Boston-wide edition.
Though quite controversial (on four occasions the offices of the magazine were raided by hatchet-wielding members of the Women' Christian Temperance Union and the Ladies of Boston Insanity League), the magazine found an audience and grew to a circulation of 15,000 issues a month.
Hiram retired in 1918 and passed the thriving enterprise to his son Horace Kelly Rich, who had recently returned from thrashing the Hun in Europe.
