Nelsen's Hall & Bitters Pub

Tom Nelsen arrived on Washington Island in the 1890s as a Danish immigrant and in 1899 opened what would become one of the most enduring establishments in American bar history. The hall functioned as a dance hall and tavern, and when Prohibition arrived in 1920, Nelsen found his solution in pharmacology.

Angostura Bitters, a botanical digestive product produced in Trinidad, contains enough alcohol to qualify as a pharmaceutical product. Nelsen obtained a pharmacist's license — reportedly the only one he ever used for this purpose — and began selling bitters as a medicinal treatment for stomach ailments. The establishment stayed open throughout Prohibition's 13-year run. Nelsen reportedly consumed a pint of bitters every day himself.

In the mid-20th century, the hall's new owners formalized the Bitters Club: any visitor who can down a shot of Angostura neat is inducted as a member. The club now counts tens of thousands of members worldwide. Nelsen's Hall is documented as the largest single purveyor of Angostura Bitters in the world, moving more than 10,000 shots annually.

Tom Nelsen lived to age 90. Washington Island is accessible only by ferry from the tip of the Door Peninsula, adding a geographic isolation to the pub's already considerable character.