Spirit of 1776: 18th Century Tavern Night

Spirit of 1776: 18th Century Tavern Night
December 4, 2026, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

Entry is free for First Friday. Beverages will be available for purchase.

Enjoy First Friday, eighteenth-century style, with storytelling, tavern games, competitive toasts, and period cocktails by the Regimental Brewmeister.

The evening is part of the Spirit of 1776 program series, a four-day exploration of Revolutionary America led by living historian Michael Carver, the Regimental Brewmeister. The series complements the Albany Institute’s exhibition Albany, c. 1776, which explores Albany’s role during the Revolutionary era.

Full schedule:
- Lecture on the Role of Jews in the American Revolution: Thursday, December 3, 5 p.m.
- 18th Century Tavern Night: Friday, December 4, 5–8 p.m.
- Revolutionary Spycraft Family Workshop: Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- 18th Century Surveying Demonstration: Sunday, December 6, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Taverns were important places to meet, conduct business, and share news in eighteenth-century America. During the evening, patrons can enjoy:
- Competitive toasting: Toasts brought people together and celebrated people, events, and ideas such as liberty.
- Parlor games: Card and dice games were common, often providing an excuse to sit together and discuss the day’s news.
- Sharing news and current events: Travelers brought newspapers, pamphlets, and stories to taverns.
- Glees and tavern songs: Drinking songs helped people gather and sing together.