Dear readers, I am taking a break from my monthly series of articles featuring historic bars, restaurants, and taverns in and around Maryland and Washington, D.C., to spotlight another age-old fixture of this region’s beverage scene who is still standing . . . ME! For those unfamiliar with Yours Truly or who just never noticed the name in nearly 300 bylines, I am Teddy Durgin. And August 2023 marks the 20th year I have covered beer, wine, and spirits for both the Maryland and Washington, DC Beverage Journals. And my editor from the get-go, Stephen Patten, was kind enough to allow me to commemorate this milestone with this tremendously self-serving, special column.
August 2003. In the world, a lot was different, and there was a lot going on. It was definitely the “post-9/11 era.” George W. Bush was President of the United States. Robert Ehrlich was Governor of Maryland. Anthony Williams was Mayor of the District of Columbia. The big news story that month was The Great Blackout, in which residents in eight states, New York City, and parts of Canada lost electrical power for days in the summer heat. The other major headline was Arnold Schwarzenegger announcing he would run for Governor of California in the recall election of Gray Davis. August 2003 was also the month the world lost baseball legend Bobby Bonds, father of Barry; tough-guy action movie star Charles Bronson; Herb Brooks, coach of the “Miracle on Ice” USA hockey team in 1980; and actor-dancer Gregory Hines.