Brews You Can Use III

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.