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This 103-Year-Old World War II Veteran Is Considered the World’s Oldest Bartender

By Emma Taggart on November 9, 2026

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While most people are putting their feet up in retirement, 103-year-old World War II veteran Irvin Koch is still keeping busy at his popular basement bar in Pasadena, Maryland. He’s been running his humble, fully licensed establishment for 60 years, where generations of customers regularly gather for a drink.

Koch served in the Philippines with the Navy, and when the war ended, he was 22 years old. Years later, in 1963, he and his brother bought a house in Pasadena that came with an unexpected bar in the basement. Rather than getting rid of it, he decided to open his very own dive bar called Sunset Knoll Club, now known as Irv’s Basement Bar. Six decades later, the drinks continue to flow, the regulars keep coming, the old jukebox keeps playing, and the original decor has barely changed.

Irv’s Basement Bar is full of quirky details, but the dozens of bras dangling from the ceiling are perhaps the most unexpected feature. Apparently, the collection has grown over the years as female customers have donated their own, often leaving their names behind as well. Irv can even recall who started the tradition—a customer named Amy. Visitors will also find names and messages scribbled across the bar counter, walls, and tables, left by other patrons who’ve visited the bar over the years.

Despite being tucked away in his home, the bar is officially recognized as a commercial establishment. And although Koch insists he stays open purely for the cash, his stepson, Jason Cook, believes there’s more to it. “He loves interacting with people and socializing,” he reveals. “He also likes being the center of attention. That certainly seems to be what’s keeping him alive.”