This Philly author wrote a new book about McGillin's Olde Ale House
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Photos: Courtesy of McGillin's Olde Ale House)
Longtime Philly publicist Irene Levy Baker has a new book out about McGillin's Olde Ale House — but it would've never brewed up if not for the pub owner's bold intervention.
Why it matters: The book, "Cheers to McGillin's," dives into the Center City pub's 165-year beer-soaked history, including its reputation as the "most romantic place in Philadelphia," where hundreds of couples have met.
- The New York Times once featured the pub in one of its crossword puzzle clues.
Driving the news: Levy and pub owner Chris Mullins are doing a book and beer talk Thursday, Sept. 13, from 7-8pm, celebrating the book's launch.
- Plus: Levy says it's the perfect holiday gift for locals who love McGillin's.
Zoom in: Levy took two years to finish the book, digging through archives and the scrapbooks of previous owners' relatives to bring it to life.
- It's a living almanac filled with pictures, couples' love stories, cocktail recipes and tidbits from staffers, including a bartender who has worked there for five decades.
Yes, but: The project almost never got off the ground.
What they're saying: Baker, an author of two other Philly-centric books, told Axios she turned down Mullins when he first approached her two decades ago about doing PR work for the pub.
- She thought a barfly was more suited for the gig.
- "I didn't even drink," she tells Axios. "It just made no sense to me."
Yes, but: Mullins was persistent, and eventually won Baker over by appealing to the pub's "soul."
Catch up quick: Irish immigrants William and Catherine McGillin opened the bar, originally called Bell in Hand Tavern, in 1860, before it was later rebranded.
- Known by locals as "ma" and "pa, they raised their 13 children in the upstairs of the pub.
- "Ma" took over the bar when her husband died in 1901, and ran it until she was forced to close during Prohibition — until the bar reopened its doors in 1933.
- The Spaniak brothers bought the pub in 1958, and it's now run by the third generation of relatives.
The bottom line: "This is the garnish on the cocktail of all the adventures," Levy says.
If you want to buy: The book is available at McGillin's gift shop and online.