The Old House at Home

McSorley's Old Ale House is the oldest Irish tavern in New York City, having operated continuously at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village since the mid-19th century. It is a living museum known for its rigid adherence to tradition, famously serving only two types of beer: Light Ale and Dark Ale. The Dark Ale may actually be a Dark Lager.

The Two-at-a-Time serving method is the signature ritual of McSorley's Old Ale House, a practical tradition born from the sheer volume of thirsty patrons in the 19th century. Because the house-branded Light and Dark Ale (or Dark Lager) is served in small, 8-ounce glass mugs, the standard order is always two mugs per person. Whether you choose two lights, two darks, or one of each, this historic beer tradition remains a non-negotiable part of the McSorley's experience, preserving a rhythmic, no-frills approach to drinking that has defined the oldest Irish tavern in NYC for generations.

Artifacts hanging around McSorley's include dust-covered WWI turkey wishbones hanging from a gas lamp above the bar — placed there by departing neighborhood soldiers who never returned to claim them, a pair of Houdini's handcuffs fastened to the bar rail, a retired chair famously used by Abraham Lincoln after his 1860 Cooper Union address, and an original John Wilkes Booth wanted poster. From the Be Good or Be Gone signage to the small vessels containing the ashes of departed regulars, the McSorley's memorabilia offers an tactile connection to over 170 years of New York City's history. - AsNotedIn