Before there were fancy craft cocktail bars, Americans learned to drink in dive bars. These humble establishments are a sacred tradition, dispensing affordable shots of potent whiskey and pints of cold beer to the thirsty masses. They likely date back to a subterranean Buffalo joint that opened in the mid-1800s along the banks of the city’s canal. Soon the term and style of bar spread across the United States. The popularity of dives usually ebbs and flows with the state of the country’s economy but they’ve always attracted a diverse and eclectic crowd. Sadly, in many cities rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods mean that dive bars are now often closing or are being renovated.

On this episode of award-winning podcast, Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the origins and the state of dive bars. They also share a few of their most colorful dive bar experiences. Cheers!

Life Behind Bars features Half Full’s editor Noah Rothbaum and its Senior Drinks Columnist David Wondrich as they discuss the greatest bartenders and greatest cocktails of all time. It won the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for the world's best drinks podcast .

Edited by Alex Skjong

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