ExploringMaine.com

Drink up in honor of the Forest City's speakeasy past
By Avery Yale Kamila, The Maine Switch

hose of us who enjoy a night out on the town fortified by a few cold ones like to lament Portland's current crack down on nightlife, which has hiked bar fees and made it nearly impossible to obtain a new license for live music in some areas of the Old Port and Arts District. But a quick glance back through history shows that in spite of the current drift toward our Puritan roots, we actually have it pretty good. You see, Prohibition started right here in Portland.

The leader of the national temperance movement was Portland's own Neal Dow, who as the city's mayor drafted the country's first law prohibiting the sale of liquor (except for medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes). The legislature passed the bill and it became law in 1851. Since both Portland and Maine have long been fond of a stiff drink (it lubricated the Revolution and workers were routinely rewarded with rum breaks at 11 am and 4 pm each day), the new legislation not only rubbed a lot of residents the wrong way it also launched a thriving black market in illicit alcohol.

Widely known as the Maine Law, Prohibition didn't take hold nationally until the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, which went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. But even before this, Maine's draconian enforcement of Prohibition led to a new legal precedent. According to Wesley Oliver of Widener University Law School, who recently gave a talk at the Maine Historical Society, Maine's reworked search and seizure laws meant police only needed probable cause, as opposed to definitive evidence, to allow them to enter a private home in pursuit of contraband. This remains the standard today and is frequently employed in the ongoing (and many would say losing) battle to restrict access to other intoxicating substances.

The dry days of Prohibition finally came to an end on Dec. 5, 1933, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed a law making alcohol sale and manufacture legal once again. But should you want to relive Portland's failed attempt to outlaw liquor, we've got a drinking tour for you. It'll take you from the West End to the East End, give you a sense of the city's partying past and offer plenty of opportunities to do a little modern day drinking.

1. Neal Dow House
714 Congress St., 773-7773
Start your exploration of Portland's party-restricted history at the home of Prohibition founder Neal Dow. Run by the Maine Woman's Christian Temperance Union (yes, it's still in existence), the house museum is open for free tours Mon.-Fri. from 11 am-4 pm. Once you've checked out the well appointed rooms and learned more about Dow, head across the street to the 7-11 and grab yourself a forty or a cheap bottle of wine. How and where you partake of this fine beverage is up to you, but you should know Portland still maintains a prohibition on drinking in public.

2. Empire Dine & Dance
575 Congress St., 879-8988
Head down the street until you reach Empire Dine & Dance. While liquor sales here are all on the up and up today, that wasn't always the case. The establishment was known as the Empire Chinese Social Club from 1916 until the é0s. During Prohibition, current co-owner Todd Doyle's grandfather supplied the place with bootleg liquor. Which just goes to show, it's impossible to run a social club without a little social lubrication.

3. Shays Grill Pub
18 Monument Square, 772-2626
The next stop on our tour is Monument Square. It was here in 1855 that Portland's notorious Rum Riot took place. Hearing that Mayor Dow had a cache of rum stored in City Hall (which was in Monument Square back then), a group of citizens obtained a search warrant and a mob soon gathered outside. The stored liquor was intended for distribution to pharmacists, but confusion about the law and political in-fighting in city government caused the crowd to assume Dow was storing it for personal consumption. To quell the mob, Dow called out the Militia and one man was killed. You can celebrate the fact that you no longer risk getting shot when you order a shot by bellying up to the bar at Shays. We suggest the $5 martini.

4. Asylum
121 Center St., 772-8274
During Prohibition, Donahue's Variety Store at the corner of Free and Center streets was a popular gathering spot. It was run by the charismatic Donahue brothers. However, in 1933 federal agents raided the store on liquor charges. Crowds gathered and saluted the Donahue brothers as they were taken away in handcuffs. Today you can toast the Donahue brothers from the sports bar and live music venue inside the Asylum.

5. Porthole Restaurant
20 Custom House Wharf, 780-6533
The coast of Maine was a major smuggling route for bootleggers looking to get their product to market with the least amount of hassle. As a result, Portland Harbor was a major point of entry for the city's illicit beer, wine and spirits. Small, fast moving boats, such as the suspected rum runner Dixie III, facilitated this illegal trade and frequently tied up at Portland's docks. You can almost make out the ghosts of rum runners past when you enjoy a rum and Coke inside the salty confines of the Porthole.

6. Shipyard Brewing Company
86 Newbury St., 761-0807
The final stop on our tour brings us to the East End and the Shipyard Brewing Company. It was just up the road a bit that the last Prohibition era brewery operated in Portland. Located across from the Portland Company, the Casco Brewery was opened in 1858 by Patrick and James McGlinchey and was allowed to brew beer for sale outside of Maine. Thankfully Shipyard's gift shop has no restrictions against selling to locals.