On Memorial weekend 1988, one of Put-in-Bay's most treasured and well-known historic building, the Colonial, was engulfed in flames and perished in less than an hour. Today, upon its ashes, the spirit of the old Colonial and the merrymakers who worked, danced, and drank within it lives on in what has become home to the World's Longest Bar, the Beer Barrel Saloon. Located in downtown Put-in-Bay, on South Bass Island and affectionately called "The Barrel" by many islanders, the Beer Barrel boasts a 405 foot, 10 inch long bar, 160 bar stools, 56 beer taps and a seating capacity of 1,200. On a busy night the bar employs over 20 bartenders and opens two extra bars in the back and side of the building.