This watering hole is perhaps our very own Algonquin Hotel. One of the last remaining ‘third places’ in Seattle, our very own beat generation was born here. It’s seen the likes of writers and punk artists, poets and pioneers and has withstood the trials of the pandemic shutting down live music scenes. 

“It’s one of the last bars you can really just sit by yourself and talk,"  said one local. 

The walls are hung with memorabilia of past years and shows; and the air is almost rife with history. Many of the photos on the walls have yellowed—but this wasn’t a decor choice says the owner. These photos have been around since the days when smoking was legal and normalized, and taking a sniff there will only prove the fact. 

Local and historical art also frames each wonderful nook and cranny, including art from a local bartender of 10 years.

When enjoying their next open mic, you can also take a moment to look up, take in the history of the U District, and even indulge in a little bit of moonshine. 

“It’s basically a museum,” said Leo, a student at the UW. 

So who were the beats of Seattle? Who were the voices and words that filled up the Blue Moon Tavern in its heyday? 

Let them have cake! (or beer?) 

Opened in 1934, the Blue Moon Tavern was the ultimate business hack. Prohibition had just been lifted at the University of Washington, and students were clamoring for a place to come, sit back, and pour one out with the boys.

The founder of the bar, Hank Rehmann, gave the thirsty students of UW what they wanted—alcohol. 

But the Blue Moon Tavern quenched another thirst—a thirst for a spot for the tortured artists, poets, and creatives to come and be intellectually free. 

In fact, the Tavern has seen the likes of some of the great beat voices in the counterculture movement of the 50s and 60s. From Thomas Roethke, past UW alumni, Pulitzer Prize winner and prolific American poet to his student Richard Hugo, who found poetic inspiration in the tavern’s working-class grit to write The Triggering Town, a foundational creative text, and went on to inspire the Hugo House in Capitol Hill. 

Carolyn Kizer, co-founder of Poetry Northwest, and Nelson Bentley, a dedicated UW professor, were also part of this creative milieu, bridging the gap between academia and the tavern’s free-spirited culture. 

Together, they forged a distinct literary identity for the Pacific Northwest, echoing the Beat Generation’s themes of rebellion, introspection, and artistic freedom, even as they carved out a uniquely local voice.

Besides the Seattle Beats, the tavern also was the gathering spot for some of the great icons in beat literature, like Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg and even Jack Kerouac. 

The Blue Moon even hailed international reconciliation, with Michael Gorbachev’s translator, Ross Lavrov iconically stating: “So, you’re from Seattle? How’s the Blue Moon?” 

The Blue Moon became an alternative for those who didn’t want to drink at the typical bar or frat. Students would walk a mile for a beer, and the sign quickly became an icon for the neighborhood, with its dual meaning. It was home to the modern day UW moonshiner, and still remains. 

Who is the Beat Generation Now?

The Blue Moon Tavern reflects a part of Seattle culture that has unfortunately been lost to much of the city. It’s a third place for musicians, poets, creatives alike to come and just be. It’s a place to speak your mind, your truth without fear of judgment. 

“You don’t need a formal music education here,” said one local musician. He’s been coming to this bar for a year, and says he was drawn to the spot because of its quirky history. 

“People are willing to be vulnerable and honest,” he said.

And luckily, there's an opportunity quite literally every single night to do so. Check out their calendar here: 

On some nights, it’s heavy metal; on another, it’s sweet jazz; or sometimes it’s simple poems. 

“Sometimes it’s a verbal vomit of political angst,” he said.

But that’s the beauty of the Blue Moon. It’s one of the only spots in Seattle that still embraces the unexpected, the unplanned, and perhaps the unknown. 

Take This for Example:

On a random Wednesday night, on open mic night, I visited the Blue Moon Tavern to this lineup: 9 PM, a nude inspired painting demonstration, 10 PM a blues and harmonica set, and the 11:15 time slot had handwritten Christian songs. 

Way Back When 

The greatest part about the Blue Moon is how untouched by time it remains. Cedric, a local UW alum used to work at Peaches Record Store, an old record store across the street. He says, after work he and his coworkers would wander over to the Blue Moon to put their feet up and relax after a long day at work. 

“We were on our feet all day. It was a good way to unwind after how things got wild during the day,” he said. 

“I was there in the 80s. Had my first legal drink at a bar there. Though I almost never go anymore, that place means a lot to me," said Siobhan, a local from the 80s.

Take Your Own Howl! 

The Blue Moon Tavern has not stopped producing music and performances since then, and there’s quite literally a night for everyone at this wonderful hidey hole. Whether karaoke is your thing, a jam session, or simply a time to sit back and enjoy history; it’s all here at the Blue Moon Tavern. 

So come, take a glance at the old maps of the UW campus: You can even bask in the ‘moons’ of Montlake cutters under the 1960s map of campus.

You’ll leave, I’m sure, howling the Blue Moon’s praises. 

. . .

A special thanks to Andrew Hamlin for his research on this article.