Pour one out: Report that Liquor Lyle's is being sold is met with dismay

A report from Axios Twin Cities that Liquor Lyle's is being sold and won't reopen has been met with dismay in the Twin Cities.

The beloved Lowry Hill dive bar, known for its 2-for-1 drinks during happy hour and the red vinyl booths, has been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had many wondering for months when it would reopen. 

The last post on the bar's Facebook page was in April 2020, reminding patrons what it looked like inside. 

On March 19, 2020, Liquor Lyle's said it would be closed until March 27, but then a few days later it said it would be "closed until further notice" due to COVID-19 , saying "stay home and stay safe so we can get back to drinking with each other soon."

It turns out "closed until further notice" means closed for good, at least under its current ownership, according to Axios Twin Cities' reporter Nick Halter. 

Liquor Lyle's general manager Jeremiah Kline told Halter the owners — Russell Spence, Ken Meshbesher and the late Ron Meshbesher's wife Kim, who are all in their 80s — have decided to sell the bar after more than 50 years.

The bar was popular among a wide mix of customers, with a former Liquor Lyle's general manager telling MinnPost in 2015 it attracted "rednecks, run-of-the-mill folks, college folks," and people from northern Minnesota. It was also a popular haunt for journalists, writers, musicians, actors and comedians, among them Josh Hartnett, David Carr, Paul Magers, Vince Flynn, and Tom Arnold.

After news started spreading that the Hennepin Avenue bar wouldn't reopen and was being sold, people shared their disappointment on social media. 

Here's a sampling of people's memories of the dive bar, which opened in 1963: