The building that houses Lee's Liquor Lounge was erected in 1891 to serve as a warehouse and did so until 1957. At that time Lee & Sally Triemert turned part of the building into Lee's Liquor Bar, now one of the oldest saloons in Minneapolis. In the early 1970s the space next to Lee's became Glenwood Liquors, owned in part by the famous Minnesota Viking football player Carl Eller.
In 1976 Lee Triemert passed away and in 1977 Louis and Carmen Sirian bought the business from his widow Sally. Louis was approached by Reggie Coulahan, then owner of the Uptown Bar and Skyway Lounge, who was representing the Triemert estate. The Sirian's borrowed the money from AAA entertainment, a pool table distributor; they took over Glenwood Liquor's space next door, and loaded the place with pool tables. They called it Lee's Pool & Liquor.
In 1985 a local startup band called Trailer Trash approached Louis
and asked if they could play in his bar sometime. By that time Louis was no longer enamored with the pool hall business, the clientele had gotten rough. So he transformed Lee's into Lee's Liquor Lounge, a dance hall, knocking down walls and adding a stage.
Lee's has stayed the same ever since. It has hosted many top music acts including Tiny Tim.
