As the sign outside it proudly states, Fitzpatrick’s is Britain’s Last Temperance Bar.
What’s a temperance bar? you might ask.
Temperance bars were bars that didn’t serve alcoholic beverages, and were commonly found on high streets in the Lancashire area in Northern England during the 1800s. The temperance movement was meant to combat alcoholism, and people would come to these bars to drink only soft drinks, pledging to abstain from intoxicating drinks. Besides Fitzpatrick’s, there are no other original temperance bars left in the country.
More to the point, What am I doing at a bar that doesn’t serve alcohol?
That’s exactly what I asked myself before I sipped on one of their delicious hot cordials.
It was a grim, rainy weekend in Manchester- the kind where an umbrella just doesn’t cut it and you’re soaked right through to your bones. These weekends are a frequent occurrence ‘up North’, but I wasn’t going to let gale force winds and torrential downpours dampen my spirit.
Like many families on a wet weekend, mine was pondering what to do. Since I travel so much, I usually stay with friends in London or at my Mum’s house in Manchester between trips- in this case the latter. So Mum suggested we try this temperance bar because she’d seen it ’on the telly’ (Ade Edmondson highlighted this gem on Ade in Britain). And of course, if it’s endorsed by ‘the telly’, that means it’s good in her books.
In all my years living in Bury, I don’t ever think I’d ever been on the East Lancashire Railway up until this point. But that soon changed when we boarded the diesel train in Ramsbottom (yes, the town is named after a sheeps arse) and took the 15 minute journey to Rawtenstall (pronounced “Rotten-stall” by the locals). We could’ve driven there, but that would have taken the fun out of it!
Fitzpatrick’s is a tiny little joint and upon walking through the front door, I instantly felt like I’d stepped into a time warp. The interior reminded me of something out of a Dickens novel- sweetie jars lined the bookshelves, and old black and white photos of Rawtenstall adorned the walls. Comparing those old photos with Rawtenstall today, I couldn’t help but notice the apparent decline of what was once a very important textile town in the 19th century.
There were barely enough seats inside Fitzpatrick’s for 5 people, so several customers were standing around to drink their cordials. Like one of those old antique shops full of memorabilia, the temperance bar was cluttered with old posters; the one that particularly caught my eye said “Drink Sarsparilla-never drink water.” OK. If you say so. Water on its own doesn’t taste that nice anyway. I’ve only ever heard of “Sarsparilla” from those old Western movies, but if it’s good enough for the cowboys, it’s good enough for me.
I walked up to the bar area, where a big copper tank stood on the bar top. Behind the bar stood various flasks and beakers that I vaguely remember using in science experiments back in my schooldays. I asked the gentleman behind the bar for “something good” since I had no idea which cordial to choose. I was presented with a drink called “Blood Cordial” which actually smelled and tasted like raspberry jelly before it’s set. Yum!
Not forgetting the message on the Sarsparilla sign, Mum purchased a bottle of Sarsparilla to take home. I was curious and gave it a taste- it takes a bit like non-alcoholic black sambuca. Or maybe liquorice…either way it has a distinct aniseed taste, but I love it!
If you’re passing through the area and fancy a teetotal day out, then stop by at Fitzpatrick’s to try one of their home-brewed cordials or a hot toddy. The temperance bar was originally started by the Fitzpatrick family and Malachi Fitzpatrick, who was the last in the family line, ran it for over 50 years. He lived until he was 90 and the locals put his long life down to the medicinal qualities of his home-brewed concoctions! Fitzpatrick’s is now owned by Chris Law, who took over the poperty in 2001.
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