Detroit Drinks History is a monthly podcast with historian Mickey Lyons and friends. Each episode tackles one aspect of Detroit history, as seen from its bars, public spaces and drinking denizens.
Detroit Drinks History is a monthly podcast with historian Mickey Lyons and friends. Each episode tackles one aspect of Detroit history, as seen from its bars, public spaces and drinking denizens.
Recent Episodes
Episode 2: Detroit Drinks Baseball History, Part 2
This week, once again, we’re talking ball: baseball history, part 2. Beer and baseball go together like...well, beer and baseball. And breweries in Detroit, like elsewhere, were major early sponsors of Tigers baseball. They also drove ad sales national, which was partially responsible for the death of hyper-local beer in the 60s and 70s. We’re also covering two iconic Detroit baseball bars: Hoot Robinson’s and the Lindell AC. Guest Star: Tom Derry of the Historic Hamtramck Stadium about their renovation efforts and about the famous Babe Ruth Birthday Party’s origins.
Episode 2: Detroit Drinks Baseball History, Part 1
Play ball! And grab a drink while you’re at it! Detroit’s been a baseball town for more than a century, and has the drinks stories to prove it. Hear about the rebels breaking Sunday Blue Laws on the city’s earliest playing fields on the east side, the wildcat bleachers gracing the earliest games, Ty Cobb and his place in the annals of baseball and drinking history, and why Billy Sunday thought Detroit boys and girls were going to jail. Guest Star: Anna Clark, Author
Episode 1: Made In Detroit
From Stroh’s to Ghetto Blaster, The Last Word to the Hummer: Detroit’s made cocktail history from its earliest days. This episode tackles the drinks history of Detroit. We’ve got that innovative spirit.
Guest Star: Nick Britsky (Nick Drinks)
Coming Soon: Detroit Drinks Irish History
Detroit is full of green spirit. The earliest Irish immigrants to Detroit settled in the city’s lower east side. After that, they moved up to Corktown and across the metro area. They worked as grocers, domestic servants, publicans, police, politicians, autoworkers and more. We’ll learn about the people that made Irish Drinking Detroit.
Mickey Lyons
Mickey Lyons is a Detroit historian and author who specializes in the history of drinking in Detroit, from frontier saloons to Prohibition-era speakeasies to modern day cocktail bars. This work has taken her to some surprising places, including abandoned police social clubs, cruise ship lecture halls, and archives from all over the city.
Her work has appeared in local and national publications, including Detroit Metro Times, Hour Detroit, Tales of the Cocktail and NBC News.
Join us each month for a detailed look at Detroit’s history, by way of a drink or two.
Join Us
Detroit’s drinking history deserves a close historical examination, and Mickey Lyons and friends will be your hosts as we explore that rich history.