Holiday Tea at the Ironclad Inn

Tickets for the Holiday Tea will go on sale Monday, November 2nd at 9 a.m.

Welcome in the holidays with a very special afternoon tea on Tuesday, December 1st at the historic Ironclad Inn. Enjoy the Inn’s festive atmosphere, adorned with elegant holiday decorations, as you listen to seasonal music. Delight in an array of holiday treats—including savory bites, sweet confections, and fine teas—all served with plenty of holiday cheer!

Then experience the spirited world of Revolutionary America with award-winning author and historian Brooke Barbier. Eighteenth-century Americans consumed a staggering amount of alcohol compared with people today, and they rarely kept it behind closed doors. Drink was woven into the fabric of colonial life—and when the colonists rebelled against the British Empire, taverns and their culture helped foster revolution. In a lively talk, Brooke will reveal how taverns and drinking culture shaped politics, strengthened relationships, fueled the economy, and helped ignite the American Revolution. The Ironclad Inn (circa 1793), the nation’s first Bed, Breakfast and Bourbon establishment—makes the perfect backdrop for this sell-out event!

Copies of Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution, will be available at the tea for purchase and signing—perfect for holiday gift giving! PLEASE NOTE: To ensure that we have enough books for Brooke's two events, we encourage you to reserve your pre-event copy at the link below by Monday, November 9th. Books will be available for pick-up at the Mary Washington Museum store or at the Holiday Tea. All book proceeds will directly benefit Washington Heritage Museums. PRE-ORDER COCKED AND BOOZY

MEET OUR SPEAKER

Brooke Barbier is a public historian and award-winning author who earned her PhD in American history from Boston College, where her research focused on Boston’s social and cultural life during and after the American Revolution. She has taught history at Boston College and Stonehill College.

Combining two of her favorite subjects—history and beer—Barbier founded Ye Olde Tavern Tours in 2013, offering tours of Boston’s historic sites and taverns. She is the author of the award-winning King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father and Boston in the American Revolution: A Town Versus an Empire. Her latest book, Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution, explores alcohol’s influence on the founding generation and received a starred review from Booklist, as well as positive reviews from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Barbier has presented across the country and has been interviewed by outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, Food & Wine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Boston Globe. Originally from San Diego, she has lived in Boston for many years.

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Special thanks to the historic Ironclad Inn for supporting our Tea Talk series. Traveling from outside Fredericksburg—or planning a special local getaway? The Ironclad Inn offers beautiful overnight accommodations just one block from the Mary Washington House.

Tickets are $70 per person and include live music, a selection of savories and sweets, hot tea, and presentation by our guest speaker. Due to the popularity of this event, we ask that you purchase no more than 6 tickets at a time. Tickets are non-refundable after four days of purchase. Please note that photography is taken at all WHM events and may be used for promotional, social media, and marketing purposes.

For more information, please call 540-373-5630 or email info@WashingtonHeritageMuseums.org