Israel’s Underground Whiskey Bar Was Once a Spy Hideout
Israel’s Whiskey Bar & Museum may have just opened several years ago, but the bar and restaurant, located in a Templer tunnel, has a history that dates back to the 19th century.
The German Templers, a German-Protestant sect, were asked to leave the Lutheran Church because of their radical beliefs. The Templers thought that in order to promote the Second Coming of Christ, they needed to relocate to Palestine.
They established one of their first agricultural colonies in Sarona — now part of Tel Aviv, Israel — and developed the land. The Templers were the first to sell Jaffa oranges; they also built hotels and other businesses in Sarona. However, their colony was mostly known for its large winery.
The Whiskey Bar & Museum is located in the 150-year-old underground tunnel the Templers developed in 1871 for the winery. They transferred wine barrels between two cellars here, then marketed the wine to sell in Germany.
Shortly after the First World War, the British Army occupied Palestine and the Templers were sent to Egypt. They returned in 1920, but when World War II started, some of the Templers joined the…
