What is a Hobson's Choice!? -- Hobson's Story

The Hobson behind Hobson's Choice lived in Cambridge, England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Licensed to carry passengers, parcels, and mail between Cambridge and London, Thomas Hobson kept a stable of about forty high quality horses. As a sideline, he also rented out his horses to university students.

After students began requesting particular horses again and again, the liveryman realized certain horses were being overworked. That inspired Hobson to come up with a new system of rotating the horses for hire. Hobson gave customers looking for horses the choice of taking the one nearest the stable door or taking none at all.

Mounted customers spread the word about Hobson's rule, which became known as Hobson's Choice. In no time, people adopted Hobson's Choice to mean "an apparently free choice when there is no choice at all" in situations having nothing to do with horses.

Today, Hobson's Choice is a Victorian-inspired couch bar; a comfortable setting serving a broad range of quality drinks, with a special focus on introducing our guests to the under appreciated experiences of Rum and Rum based drinks. The rich crimson-colored main is full of comfortable antique couches, armchairs and tables, with gold-leaf mirrors and stained-glass table lamps. The deep green upstairs room is a bit more private, and overlooks the action on the main floor. Upstairs is available for private parties. Contact Hobson's to learn more about these opportunities.

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