Popination Historicization
a series of unhinged personal essays disguised as pub reviews. Today: Historians Ale House.
Yes, yes, I know: I was supposed to go to that pool hall bar in my neighborhood for this Popination, as I said I would before last week when I did a so-far-in-Aurora retrospective. Thing is, I was hung over on Sunday from the show on Saturday, and wanted a lunch experience, not a dive or pool one. So I chose to venture into Denver again.
I was inspired by the vibe at Fiction Beer Co. and so I thought I’d try Historians Ale House, because of the name and that I’d heard it has a similar vibe: historical Colorado decor, and a long long tap list. Located tightly between Irish Rover and HQ, I also realize this place would make for a good post-church pub next time I’m reading for them, so. But anyway, that’s why I picked Historians. And I’m glad I did, though it wasn’t at all what I’d been led to think it was.
Historians? I hardly know yinz…
I said this place was tightly between Irish Rover and HQ, and it was. So much so that I couldn’t see it, not when the uber dropped me off very near it, not until I was almost right under the pub sign. But said sign was neato: a scrolly old timey font that was very tavern-like. The windows were tinted so much I didn’t know if it was open, though the website and the offering of brunch on the sign told me it surely was. But a young punk couple were going in right ahead of me and so I followed, finding a seat at the bar right next to a hot mess of a person of indeterminate gender talking loudly on their phone.
I guess Historians is known for its interior that’s bedecked with historical Colorado decor. But it took me a minute to see it, what with the dim light and the sports on many screens. Not really the emphasis as much as the scuttlebutt had said. But that’s okay—I had a hangover and a need for some hair of the dog and some fried protein to help. And the bar was comfortable and mellow (at least after Mx. Hot Mess had left, still chattering) and I was happy to sit and chill and finish reading my emails.
The vibe was a mellow yet active Sunday afternoon leisurely sports lunch crowd, and the food offerings were classics of pub grub, albeit well prepared: I decided on chicken tenders to nurse my previous night of much high level whiskey, and they were perfectly cooked! And, far from being the Kate Moss-sized strips of overdone chicken, these were beautiful breast cutlets with a breading of perfect GBD (what Alton Brown called Golden Brown and Delicious).1
As I mentioned before, I was looking for a sort of humanities-centered geeky establishment in Historians, but it’s not that. It’s just an identical pub to the nearby Irish Rover. Like, very nearly actually identical: same layout, same rooftop patio, same dim snug-looking snugs. Which isn’t bad, necessarily. It’s just surprising, I dunno. Definitely more of a pub or tavern than anything nerd-related, which again is also fine. I had a lovely fried lunch and they do make a decent old fashioned. And they actually have Avery IPA, which is not something I commonly find outside of Boulder, so. Historians ahoy!
SIDE NOTE: the word historicization means ‘becoming history,’ as in: when a thing changes from being a current event thing to a historical interest thing. Which. I thought that was cool—at first I wasn’t sure if historicization was a real word, or a mongrel the likes of which utilize is one I like least. But no; it’s got a real definition as distinct from historicity and historicism, etc. Neato.
Yes, I know we’ve canceled Alton. I’m still sad about that one; you gotta let me mourn…