Libations and Poe: The 1840’s in 2024
by Brandilyn and Christopher Mitchell
Edgar Allen Poe, born January 19, 1809, and died on October 7, 1849 was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. Humans have been fascinated by his stories due to their enthralling nature.
The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy was a chilling cocktail experience in Sacramento that brought four of his stories (“poe-formances”) onto the stage as told through Poe Historians while pairing them with four curated cocktails. As both BrewView authors and lovers of the Victorian Era, we truly enjoyed every minute of this performance, and every indulgent sip of our libations.
What was it like? We stepped back in time, immersing ourselves in the dark and mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe. We dressed head to toe in early Victorian fashion. This pop-up speakeasy transported you to a bygone era-the stage was covered in and surrounded by LED flickering candles, on antique furniture and a fake fireplace, emitting dramatic flare to the poems. And you never had to leave your seat! Costumed actors brought out your next cocktail after every recitation. The pairings were as followed:
“The Tell-tale Heart” paired with “Pale Blue Eye”, a refreshing Collins, garnished with a blueberry. 
“The Black Cat” was paired with “The Cat’s Meow”, which is a twitch on a personal favorite cocktail of Poe’s. Notoriously, he loved his brandy. A student at the University of Virginia in the 1820s, drinking apple toddies and eggnog was the extracurricular activity of choice. Poe’s taste for brandy became legendary after he left Virginia and entered West Point in 1830. His roommate there, Thomas W. Gibson recalled that Poe was “seldom without a bottle of Benny Haven’s best brandy….He had already acquired the more dangerous habit of constant drinking.” The reputation followed Poe for the rest of his life, and it was long assumed that alcoholism is what killed him but modern doctors believe he actually died of rabies. Which is fascinating considering everyone important to him had died of tuberculosis, of which he NEVER caught. Coincidence? Who knows.
“The Raven” paired with “Nevermore”, a dark delectable drink made with vodka, lime, peach and orange blossoms, mixed with charcoal and topped with a mint leaf.
Lastly, “The Masque of the Red Death” paired with “Red Death”, a sweet raspberry wine sangria with hints of lime. The best of the night saved for last! Red is exclusively associated with death in this story. The fictional plague is named the “Red Death” because it makes people bleed out of the pores on their face. This performance sent chills down my spine!
This evening was a hair-raising, dramatic night-and that says a lot since we have been to the catacombs in Edinburgh, Scotland and have taken ghost tours in London, Edinburgh and Dublin. This night ranked right up there with those events, and it was great not to leave the country to experience it!
Don’t miss your chance to see Poe’s tales come to life, one sip at a time, and get your tickets for the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy coming up in nearby cities at edgarallanpoebar.com! Upcoming shows in Santa Clara, Eureka, and San Jose.
(Note: photography & videography were allowed.)
