Archive · 8 Oct 2026
103-Year-Old Maryland Bartender Keeps His Basement Bar Open
Irvin Koch is 103 years old and still serves drinks in his basement.
His bar is called Club Sunset Knoll, and he has run it since 1963.
It does not have regular opening hours, so Irv decides when to open and close.
The bar has a jukebox and bras hanging from the ceiling.
People who live nearby have visited for years, and some come because the place feels unusual and memorable.
Irv first got the bar when he bought the house, which already had one.
Before becoming a bartender, he served in the Navy during World War II and worked as a builder and plumber.
His stepgrandson says Irv likes talking with people.
Irv says there is not much he would change about his life.
Irvin “Irv” Koch, 103, has run Club Sunset Knoll from his home basement since 1963.
The bar has no formal opening hours, website, phone number or posted schedule.
Its longtime features include inexpensive drinks, a jukebox and bras displayed from the ceiling.
Koch served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later worked as a builder and plumber.
His stepgrandson says Koch enjoys socializing with customers and has never seriously considered quitting.
- Who
- Irvin “Irv” Koch, a 103-year-old bartender, and customers who visit his basement bar.
- What
- Koch continues to run Club Sunset Knoll, where he has served drinks since 1963.
- When
- Since 1963; Koch was born in 1923.
- Where
- The basement of Koch’s home in Pasadena, Maryland.
- Why
- Koch bought the house in 1963 and found that its bar came with it; he enjoys socializing with customers.
- Bartender
- Irvin “Irv” Koch
- Age
- 103
- Bar
- Club Sunset Knoll
- Location
- Koch’s home basement in Pasadena, Maryland
- Bar opened
- Koch began tending the bar in 1963
- Opening hours
- No fixed schedule; Koch opens when the first customer arrives
- Notable features
- Inexpensive drinks, dim lighting, a jukebox and bras hanging from the ceiling
- Earlier service
- Koch served in the U.S. Navy in the Philippines during World War II