I have been visiting Vevay, Indiana, on a fairly regular basis since just before the turn of the century but Saturday was my first time at Musée de Venoge on the town’s west edge. The two-story early nineteenth-century house on the property was restored and opened to the public in 2011. Major living history events are held three times a year. One celebrates the 4th of July and another celebrates Christmas. The third celebrates the fall harvest in October. This year that event carried the title Trades, Taverns, and Tippling.

Trades displayed on the grounds included rope making and pewter casting. Today Kyle Willyard was casting spoons.

A blacksmith (Michael Shult) was working on an oven rake to help with the cooking while a carpenter (Tom Garrett) worked on what he called a school box.

The gunsmith (Michael McHugh) demonstrated a fire starter of the day. It uses the same mechanism as a flintlock rifle with tinder and a candle instead of a barrel and bullet. Several beautiful rifles he had made were on a table beside him.

Cooking, decorative painting, and weaving were also being demonstrated.

The restored house was turned into the Eagle Tavern for the day and that’s where the tippling occurred. Kentuckians Brian Cushing and Amy Liebert served as tavern keepers.

There was also music in the tavern and a lawyer hoped for new clients as he worked on a local murder case. It was the gentleman seated in the corner who suggested I try the Orange Shrub which I found delicious. He was, I presume, demonstrating tippling.

The weather was perfect with temperatures low enough to fit the season but not so low as to be uncomfortable. And the mix of bright blue sky and clouds made the day look exactly like it felt.