Put a Lid on It...

Put a lid on it!

The above picture is the mustard as it is now served at McSorley's Old Ale House. For those who are over a certain age this is only the latest instance of accommodating the least of us at the inconvenience of the majority.

This beer bar, for that is all it serves, a copper colored brew and a dark but not opaque brew. They are known as Light and Dark respectively. The brew is served in glass mugs that I will guess have the capacity of half a bottle of beer poured with gusto. Those in the know will respond, when asked what they want by the bartender, "Two and two..." That will get you two mugs of Light and two mugs of "Dark" the equivalent of about sixteen ounces of beverage. This ritual has been in place there for as long as I can remember… For over thirty years the mugs of brew have always been tendered in such a way. Ah yes... the mugs.

Again, as far back as I can remember and I can remember when there was only one toilet for all customers back in the 1960's... but I digress.

The glass mugs were also used to dispense the fiery mustard served with most food listed on the menu, but particularly with the basic "cheese platter". This specialty has been described in a previous blog so I will not return to prior revelations. The mention of mugs and mustard returns our attention to the above picture.

In order that the pristine mustard be served to me and I be protected from any pathogen that can survive that mustard, the NYC Board of Health has proscribed the pictured covered mustard server must be used at McSorley's on penalty of serious fines.

I appreciate their efforts but I miss the old mugs of mustard... and the look on the face of a date when she returned from the old uni-sex toilet with the urinals big enough to get lost in.