Comments on: Ancient Minneapolis drinking history

Question: Ancient Minneapolis drinking history

Astro Zombie — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:35:33 -0800

Anybody have a clue what the "Whale of a Drink" at the long-gone Moby Dick's bar in downtown Minneapolis was? was it a cocktail? Or did they just mean that you would get super, super drunk there, which I've heard was true. If it was a drink, anyone have a clue what the hell it was?

By: desjardins

desjardins — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:18:10 -0800

Seems like it could be just a motto. It was definitely a sign.

If you're a long-time resident of Minneapolis you probably remember the old Block E on Hennepin Avenue. It was the scourge of local law enforcement with its petty drug dealing, strip clubs and the occasional brawl. The one establishment that I remember from those days was that memorable old bar, Moby Dick, whose motto was "a whale of a drink." Source

/not a minneapoli...whatever you call yourselves.

By: nanojath

nanojath — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:25:31 -0800

...whatever you call yourselves

Minneapolitan, of course.

I also never heard of this referred to as a specific drink. I think it was just a slogan. Isn't this the same place where there is a persistent (but apparently unfounded) rumor that you could go in and trade an AA medallion for a drink? It doesn't seem like the type of place that would bother with the niceties of a signature drink.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:25:52 -0800

Been there, I think, not sure... but just popping in to remind you that "whale of a" doesn't necessarily mean large, like... a whale of a good time.

So they were probably just taking the obvious pun there.

By: triggerfinger

triggerfinger — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:34:30 -0800

Ah, Moby Dick's. Before my time but so legendary.

Luckily I know lots of old-school alcoholics. I'll ask around and get back to you.

By: triggerfinger

triggerfinger — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:59:58 -0800

So far....two people claim to not remember what they drank at Moby Dick's. The others are not home.

BUT, here is a great picture of the old Block E (pre-purification) where the Moby Dick's sign can be seen. From looking at it, I'm guessing it was just a slogan and not a specific drink, but I'll keep asking around because I always like to hear people's stories about Moby Dick's.

By: gimonca

gimonca — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:00:41 -0800

I was in there a couple of times. Don't remember a specific drink; I always assumed it just meant that you could get a bigger glass of rotgut than some place down the street (like the Carousel, or the dreaded Mousey's). In my life, I spent more time at Shinder's paging through the foreign newspapers than at Moby's.

I do remember Skyway News doing that April Fool's issue a few years ago, with the headline "New Tenant for Block E: Moby Dick's" and a photoshopped pic of the whale logo on the Block E promotion banner. Comedy gold!

By: thilmony

thilmony — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:22:51 -0800

I was in grade school or junior high when it was still around. We always went to "Suns, for rock and roll people" to buy our vinyl on that block.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:27:03 -0800

I recall it just being that they served larger drinks.

How I miss Block E.