Here’s The Meaning Behind The Term “Green Door” For Kalamazoo’s Distillery
Green Door Distillery has been making headlines recently, with the co-acquisition of the distillery from former Pistons great Ben Wallace. But what's the story behind their name? Why call it Green Door? Is it because they have a green door? Well yes, but that's not exactly it. Apparently, it means something a little more, and it goes back to the days of prohibition. Who knows, maybe the "alleged" speakeasy under Louie's served Green Door Whiskey from Kalamazoo:
Have you heard the history of green on doors? During prohibition, a green mark on a door was an indicator that behind it was a safe place to get a drink. Made popular in Chicago, we took inspiration from that time, among other things, to name our distillery. Green Door Distilling Co. is proud to be Kalamazoo’s first distillery to open since 1858.
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They indeed modeled their distillery after the Green Door Tavern in Chicago, which is Chicago's oldest, built in 1872 after The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. There's even a song by Jim Lowe that talks about the green door legend:
Midnight, one more night without sleeping
Watching till the morning comes creeping
Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?There's an old piano And they play it hot behind the green door
Don't know what they're doing
But they laugh a lot behind the green door
Wish they'd let me in so I could find out
What's behind the green door
Looking back at it now, I'm surprised the fuzz never picked up on it, but it's a cool piece of info from one of the most troubling time periods in our country's history.
Michigan During Prohibition
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