This past Saturday, September the 8th, the Carolina Rollergirls stormed into Durham for their first ever annual Durham Pub Crawl. How did this come about? With several of our skaters now living in the Durham market, Tucker aka Mallory Knocks decided with her Durham buddy, Cronick aka Erna Beatin’ ‘why not have two bar crawls’? The Raleigh Bar Crawl has been a hit for 5 years straight, why not one here in Durham where we live and we grow our Sponsor base and local awareness. Oh, it happened.
The first stop on the list was Sam’s Quik Shop. It has been a staple in the Durham community for years and years, and popular now for it’s stellar craft beer selection. The guys at Sam’s tapped an Epic keg and the party started. The owner, John Boy, was not only was the perfect host, but decide to weather the Pub Crawl with some friends. Everyone was all smiles at Sam’s and we learned a little, laughed a lot, and prepped for stop #2.
Whiskey. It’s not just what Tucker’s drinking, it was our second stop. Right on Main St. Whiskey is popular for it’s dark cozy atmosphere and amazing selection of whiskey, rye, scotch… whatever you are in the mood for….and hey, a mixed drink you say? Scott Ritchie (the owner) makes the best Old Fashioned in town.
Next up….Bill McCabe’s! What? Malachy let us barge in, take over, eat, drink, AND tie up a pinata outside under a tree to celebrate Jesse King’s (formally know as Kitty Crowbar) and Ginger Clobber’s birthdays! Yes, he did! We all love Bull McCabes! It’s great place to sit outside, or catch some rugby on the tube.
Ahhhh, the 4th stop is a true standard in Durham, and a must see and EAT, the Federal. They have daily specials and boast outside seating which is always a favorite, but there’s nothing quite like the decor. The Fed is on heavy rotation for our Durham CRG’ers.
Last, but certainly not the least, Geer St. Here you are likely to find Knocks, Cronick, Caddy Compton, Sue Yu and Effie Yu on a Sunday afternoon after practice. Andy McGowen, owner of Geer St. Garden, offered to be the last stop, I remember the conversation being explained as “Are you sure you want to be the LAST stop?”. Good times were had by all.
If you are reading this and haven’t stopped by one of these awesome locally owned businesses, stop what you are doing right now and make a plan.
Special thanks to all that made this happen. We know Tucker, Cronick and Sheeza Freak worked non-stop to put on a killer event. Very special thanks to John Boy, Scott Ritchie and the guys at Whiskey Jeff, Drew & Ant, Malachy Noone, Reece and the guys at the Fed, Skip & Scott, and Andy Magowan!!
We CAN NOT WAIT for the next one!
Contributed by Mallory Knocks
