What is a "Blind Tiger?"

"The Blind Tiger Lounge!"

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have BOOM CITY RESTAURANT & PUB here at the City Hall Grand Hotel. THAT, however, is another story (or Blog) in itself.

The restaurant and lounge originally came about during a slow season here at the hotel.  During the Covid19 years, the hospitality industry, especially establishments such as hotels and restaurants, struggled through what seemed an eternity.

It was during this time that we decided to move forward with more construction, taking advantage of the lack of guests coming to our boutique hotel instead of crying the blues over the substantial decrease in revenue.  Six new guest rooms were eventually added (for a total count of twenty-five at the time) as well as the restaurant, lounge, and tiki hut.

Although the restaurant itself went together exactly how it was envisioned from the start, the design aspect of the new lounge presented challenge after challenge.  In the restaurant, our local newspaper, The Williamsport Sun-Gazette, helped us continue the same historic theme we highlight here in the rest of this old city hall.  They provided us with some very interesting stories and images from our city's past.  The vision for the lounge in the northeast corner of the lower level seemed to hang off in the distance somewhere, just out of reach.  It was not until a half-dozen images were brought to my attention by Karen and Dave Kennedy from the newspaper that we started down the road to where we are now.  Images from back in the days of Prohibition here in our city seemed to be the perfect subject.  Hence, a speakeasy theme started to develop.

So why the name?

Well, quite frankly, the lounge was generically referred to as "the prohibition room" through the majority of the construction, much to my displeasure.  My creative juices dried up, leaving me with nothing but a lot of frustration.  Fortunately, it was during this downtime that I stumbled across a book by Sandra Brown called ... you guessed it ... "The Blind Tiger."

Only several pages into this book, a soldier returning from the war posed the same question that was on my own mind: "What is a blind tiger?"  It was quickly explained to him that speakeasies became known to some as “Blind Tigers.”  The book's story takes place during the days of prohibition, which lasted from January 17, 1920 to December 5, 1933.

The Rise of the Blind Tigers

After Prohibition went into effect, blind tigers began to appear all across our nation.  Many thousands of what were once legal saloons, catering only to men, were shut down.  People wanting to drink as well as those wanting to “cash-in” on that market, had do get creative.  Licensed druggists supplied alcohol for “medicinal” purposes.  Clergymen offered up the potent spirits for “religious” reasons.  And illegal sellers, known as “bootleggers,” began popping up all across the country.

Private, unlicensed and, therefore, undercover barrooms, became another option when looking for some “giggle water.”  These establishments became nicknamed “speakeasies,” because to gain entry, a patron had to speak the “password” so as not to be overheard by a “Bull” or law enforcement.  From fancy clubs to dingy backrooms, these gin joints also became known as “Blind Tigers” and “Blind Pigs.”

Jazz music, and the dances it inspired, was already popular by the time speakeasies hit the scene.  Women, once segregated from the men, were no longer tethered to the traditional values of the previous decade and embraced the party mood of the era.  Just a decade after Americans fought the hardships and heartaches of war, the “Roaring Twenties” was born.  Bobs and Flappers, the Charleston and Silent Films, Ford’s Model T and Barnstorming Pilots, Organized Crime and Bootleggers, and of course, Bathtub Gin, were just a few of the things that set the stage for what was known as “The Prohibition Era.”

And, for the right price or for a swig of the best moonshine, those in charge of enforcing Prohibition might just look the other way …

But Not Everyone Could Keep a Secret.  The Blind Tiger soon became the Worst-Kept Secret of the Era! 

Prohibition has ended.  Come join us for a look back at the "Roaring Twenties" and your favorite spirit in our Blind Tiger Lounge!