Stephanie Schorow - Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits

Stephanie Schorow learned to write with a hangover during her many years as a reporter and editor for the Boston Herald, the Associated Press, the Stam-ford Advocate and other newspapers around the country. She is the author of six books about Boston history and teaches both writing and pottery. She shares her Medford home with 2 cats.

www.stephanieschorow.com

Holly Gordon is a freelance graphic artist who grew up on Bostons North Shore. After graduating from The New England Institute of Art, she dove into an independent career and has worked on a wide range of illustrative projects. She has moved cross country twice in one year and is currently settled in Cambridge.

See her work online at www.missgordon.com

Scollay Square, 1957. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Courtesy of MIT Libraries, Rotch Visual Collections; Photograph by Nishan Bichajian.

Unsurprisingly, lots of people volunteered to help me with my research on Drinking Boston. In addition to these companions along the bar, there were so many others who were extremely generous with their time and expertise, and I will always be grateful for their help.

In no particular order, I want to thank Brother Cleve, Jackson Cannon, Patrick Sullivan, Misty Kalkofen, Alexei Beratis, John Gertsen, Jamie Walsh, Ron Della Chiesa, Jerry Burke, Eddie Burke, Jerry Foley, Leo Motsis, Roger Sampson, Sarah-Ann Shaw, Michael Reiskind, Devin Hahn, Luke ONeil, David Kruh, Robert Davis Sullivan, Libby Bouvier, Thomas Richardson, Greg Rossi, and the many bartenders and mixologists who introduced me to the joys of a well-made cocktail. Ronald Arntz and his mother, Rose Arntz, helped fill me in on the nightclubs of the 1930s; Rose also showed me that grace and beauty has no age limit. Im very thankful to Edith Nussinow who spoke so eloquently about her father, Jacques Renard. Yet again, I am indebted to Kathy Alpert of Postmark Press for her fantastic knowledge of ephemera and her overwhelming generosity. I wish to thank Jane Winton, Henry Scannell, and all of the excellent staff of the Boston Public Library, Jeanne Gamble and the folks at Historic New England, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the History Project, as well as the staff of the Boston Herald and Boston Globe. Also thanks to William Sheehan, Margaret Sullivan, Laurie Cabot, Heidi Webb, Adele Maestranzi, Joyce McCann Kingston, Frederic Yarm, Connie Dodge, Anne Gallagher, Kimberly Whitaker of the West End Museum, Mary Eng, and my beloved, beautiful goddaughter Stephanie Cross for her research help. A special shout-out goes to my partner-in-mob-crime Beverly Ford for her crucial help at a crucial time and to readers Renee DeKona and Tom Nutile. I wish I could mention everyone who has helped me along the way, including bookstores, library staff, and eBay vendors who helped me find some of the artwork that you see in this book.

Most of all, I wish to sincerely thank Union Park Press publisher Nicole Vecchiotti who first proposed the book and who nurtured and nudged the author with never-flagging enthusiasm and patience. Without her excellent suggestions and overall direction, this book would not have been possible. The crew at Union Park Press has been fantastic: Shelby Larsson, Caitlin Cullerot, Holly Gordon, and Madeline Williams. I am extremely grateful for the copyediting and suggestions from Christopher Klein. Many thanks go to intern Jane Domino who fearlessly performed tedious research. And lastly, I have to thank Drink Boston blogger Lauren Clark for her friendship, encouragement, and expert advice. Lauren, this Buds for you.

One last note: The author is well aware of the danger of alcoholism. She has seen, first hand, the effect of alcohol addiction on good friends and family. (Brian C: All is forgiven.) This book is not intended to minimize the health risks of alcoholism or to undercut the efforts of those who choose not to drink. Alcoholism is a deadly disease that affects both drinkers and those around them. So a final thought goes out to all the friends of Bill W. I wish you strength for the journey.

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