decided they wanted to open their current basement location as a proper bar. and in order to open as a bar, they had to apply to the city for a state-regulated liquor license. and that's where today's gift to you comes from, because back then if you walked out the back door of grendel's den, the next building you would encounter across the alley, little courtyard thing there, was a church, the holy cross catholic church. that church has since moved out to the suburbs. i think where the church was is now a pete's coffee. i don't know, it's all changed over the years. so they applied to be a bar and their door across the back alley was a door to a church. that was really, really important. because a massachusetts state law at the time gave churches the right and the opportunity to veto any liquor license application for any business that was near to them.