The view east of the dabney family home (1866)

John Dabney is an influential figure in the hospitality industry whose contributions you may have unknowingly experienced. Born into slavery in Virginia as the son of a cook and maid, and a carriage driver, Dabney developed his culinary and bartending skills while being hired out by his enslaver. He gained a reputation among Richmond's 19th-century high society for his expertise in preparing delicacies like terrapin stew and canvasback duck, as well as signature cocktails like the "hail-storm" mint julep, which he is credited with creating.

Dabney's only source of income were tips, which he used to purchase the freedom of his wife from her owner who threatened to sell her out of Richmond. Despite the end of slavery during the Civil War, Dabney still paid the balance he owed to his enslaver, earning praise for his honesty and the ability to secure credit at any bank in Richmond.

After the Civil War, Dabney worked at the bars of several fashionable Richmond hotels before eventually opening his own establishments, the Senate House in 1862 and the Dabney House Restaurant in 1865, in partnership with other African Americans. Despite facing the expectations and discrimination of white society, Dabney's cooking and integrity gained him the trust and respect of many white customers. He continued to work in his restaurant and catering business until the week of his death in 1900, at which point all four of Richmond's daily newspapers reported on his passing.

Today, we honor the hardworking pioneer John Dabney, a symbol of Liberation Through Spirits.