Aqua Vitae: A History of the Saloons and Hotel Bars of Victoria, 1851-1917

by Glen A. Mofford

A rowdy, rollicking popular history that celebrates the tales of Victoria’s drinking establishments in their heyday.

From the raunchy saloons that lined Victoria’s notorious Johnson street to the lavish high-class hotel-bars like the Driard and the Empress, Aqua Vitae is a collection of fascinating true stories from the days of swinging doors, smoky bars, and five-cent beers.

Read about how the quick actions of an employee of the Bee-hive saloon saved a young Emily Carr from possible death. Discover the gruesome secret uncovered by a startled worker who was prying up the floorboards of the Omineca saloon. And find out about the grisly murder of Mike Powers, the proprietor of the Garrick’s Head, a pub that still does a thriving business today.

Carefully researched and accompanied by 70+ archival photos, Aqua Vitae covers the time from the first saloon appeared in Victoria in 1851, and alcohol was more easy to come by than clean water all the way to prohibition in 1917.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

280 pages, Paperback

Published November 8, 2016

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glen Mofford’s Aqua Vitae is a delightful and interesting study of the history of bars and saloons in Victoria between 1851-1917. Well researched and told with flair and style, you will be intrigued that such a town as Victoria, perched on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, could have such a vivid history.

The text is subdivided into both historical time and class of drinking establishments. It contains a thorough Bibliography and Endnotes as well as an Index. Whether you are are interested in local history or a serious researcher, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf.

[Heidi W]

loved it- very informative book. I felt sometimes like i was back in time while reading this book. I also found humour throughout this book which i liked. I now want to go visit Victoria and see this environment for myself!

[Dave Bensette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

First 5 star rating of the new year :)! This book was phenomenal. It transports you back in time to when Saloons were in their prime. Being a lover of history myself (that's what I majored in, in University), this novel was perfect... it was educational, and funny. Some of the stories were really funny, and others were quite brutal and intriguing! I find myself wanting to travel to Victoria to see for myself these historic landmarks, and walk where these people have walked. I really enjoyed the photographs throughout this novel, they really added to the stories about each saloon. I also really liked the timeline at the end of this book. This is a must read for sure !

[Norman S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping this would be an integrated narrative like Campbell's Sit Down and Drink Your Beer, so with that expectation I was a bit disappointed to find that this was really more of a reference book that compiled many vignettes about closed or renovated hotels and pubs. However it's a great guide to build walking tours from! It's also full of excellent primary source archival research which should allow it to act as a foundation for more in-depth historical narratives about particular places and people.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it would be better to concentrate on far fewer establishments and tell a real story about them and those that ran them. Otherwise it is simply a long list of forgettable proprietors (why did these hotels and saloons go through so many owners) and long gone buildings.

[Sylvia Munson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars for quoting my great grandfather Harry GREGSON’S book history of Victoria. This book has heightened my imagination as I walk around Victoria, squinting my eyes, imaging what it must have been like during the gold rush.

[Alan Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at this aspect of Victoria's culture from Gold Rush days to prohibition.

[Nicole Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super detailed and interesting. A previous reader wrote in the library book I borrowed on pg 79 re: a journey from New York to San Francisco through the Panama Canal in 1862, stating that the canal was built in 1914 and that this journey was therefore impossible.

Interestingly, people have been travelling across America through Panama pre-canal using the Isthmus of Panama. The earliest record of this was by the Spanish, who used it between 1513-1790 for silver. The US started building a railroad on the Isthmus of Panama in 1850, completing it in 1855. So, by 1862, Panama was being used as a transcontinental passage for mail services as well as for travellers, although it's true that it wasn't really a canal yet (http://on-historic-routes.com/feature...) super interesting stuff!! :)