Bottoms Up billed itself as “The Paper for People Who Drink… and Eat” and “Long Island’s Favorite Tavern Weekly.” It was edited by Ted Kay, of Roosevelt, NY; I haven’t been able to find out more about him.

The issues I’ve seen are from 1957, and run 8 or 10 pages. They consist mostly of ads for Long Island bars, restaurants, and night clubs, with occasional bits of gossip about restauranteurs, and a few photos of women in swimsuits.

Among the revelations about Long Island nightlife is the taste in music: many clubs offered dancing to a live organist or pianist, sometimes with a Solovox, a short-lived early Hammond synthesizer. Country, Western, and “Hillbilly” music seem to have been the most popular, although Latin was also represented. There were many small combos, now probably forgotten: the Viking Trio, the Rhythm Rangers, the Hi-Liters, the Versatile Trio, the Cacti’s, the Three Jacks, the Escorts, the Hipsters, the Gum Drops, the Rhum-Bops. In addition, the Shadow Box in Mineola featured “Mixologist Wally Walcott Playing the Bottles.” Shuffleboard was often offered: the Shuffle Inn in Uniondale and the Rustic Tavern in Mineola had 24-foot boards, but Jimmy Flynn’s in Hempstead had one that was 28 feet. The food ran mostly to “Businessmen’s Luncheons,” steaks, seafood, “delicious Italian cuisine,” and cocktails. Music was live, the food was simple, and you were on a first-name basis with your hosts, who often worked in pairs: Tom and Andy, Pete and Fred, Helen and Vinnie, Emily and John.

Here’s a sample page; please click on it to make it larger.

(Posted by Doug Skinner)