Enfilade

From Colonial Williamsburg:

Eat, Drink, Revolution: Our Friend the Tavern

Online and in-person, Colonial Williamsburg, 6–8 November 2025

This fall, Colonial Williamsburg will host the inaugural Eat, Drink, Revolution: Our Friend the Tavern conference, which explores taverns as both dining establishments and as important gathering places throughout the centuries, particularly in the years surrounding the American Revolution.

While the in-person conference registration is now sold out, virtual registration, along with limited in-person spaces for scholarship recipients, is still available. Interested attendees can email us to request to be added to the in-person waitlist. Scholarships are available to students currently enrolled in programs relating to history and foodways, emerging professionals in fields related to food and drink, and history museum professionals.

Conference speakers include Pete Brown, renowned Sunday Times Magazine columnist, author and broadcaster; Dr. Jonathan Zarecki, associate professor of classical studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; The Beer Archaeologist Travis Rupp; Marc Meltonville, food and drink historian, author and heritage distiller; public historian and executive director of Newlin Grist Mill, Tony Shahan; Jason Baum, interpretive park ranger at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park; Dr. Sarah Hand Meacham, associate professor, Virginia Commonwealth University; along with members of Colonial Williamsburg’s staff. The full conference schedule is available here.

Virtual registration is $100 per person and includes livestream access to all conference presentations, access to presentations as recordings through the end of the year, and a 7-day ticket voucher to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, valid for redemption through May of 2026.

Eat, Drink, Revolution: Our Friend the Tavern is sponsored in part by Craft & Forge, a lifestyle brand that reimagines early American maker style for today’s audience with a focus on craftsmanship, authenticity, and high-quality materials.