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The regulars at the Tap Room weren鈥檛 looking for fancy; they wanted their beer cold and a hard pour on their rum and cola or gin and tonic.

The Tap Room 鈥渨as cocktail central and a staple of downtown,鈥� said owner Shana Oseran, and the reason why had a lot to do with the dapper little man in the bolo tie tending bar.

For 60 years, Ziegler poured the drinks and curated the conversations at the Tap Room, rechristened Tiger鈥檚 Tap Room in honor of his 80th birthday in 2013.

鈥淗e was the constant, the thing that gave the soul to the place,鈥� Hotel Congress鈥檚 former entertainment director David Slutes said Friday, hours after Ziegler鈥檚 family announced that he had died. 鈥淗e was Hotel Congress鈥檚 soul.鈥�

鈥淭he love of his life was the Hotel Congress and the Tap Room,鈥� said his sister-in-law, Bea-Ann Ziegler. 鈥� 鈥淭he way that the people of the Congress had taken care of him and loved him as family was wonderful.鈥�

Ziegler died on Dec. 21, two weeks after he had entered hospice care. He was 91.

Bea-Ann Ziegler said Ziegler had suffered a stroke two years ago that left him with balance issues that led to a series of recent falls.

Ziegler was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on May 28, 1933, the youngest of four kids 鈥� two boys and two girls. He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School and worked an office job for a couple of years before he moved to 蜜柚直播 in 1953.

He lived with his aunt and uncle, Don Vosberg, a former NFL player who was an assistant University of 蜜柚直播 football coach from 1947-51 and a charter member of the 蜜柚直播 Conquistadors. Ziegler got a job as a trucking company dispatcher and spent weekends working in a bar at a Mount Lemmon lodge.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where he got his bartending experience,鈥� Bea-Ann Ziegler said.

He went to work at Hotel Congress in 1959, initially as a part-timer doing whatever needed to be done around the hotel before landing in the Tap Room.

But it was in the Tap Room that he found his true joy.

鈥淗e was that bartender that he was friendly with absolutely everyone,鈥� said Oseran. 鈥淗e ruled that bar like it was his. He got Christmas cards from everybody.鈥�

Ziegler was a snazzy dresser, donning bolo ties and colorful shirts and jackets, often accentuated with a bolo-style hat.

鈥淗e loved attention. He just loved people making a big deal out of him,鈥� said his niece, Mindi Ziegler Johnson, who lives in Gilbert. 鈥淗e would always wear his sparkly hat and jacket.鈥�

Ziegler had a reputation for respecting his female customers and expected his male customers to follow his lead. When they got out of line, he was quick to show them the door, no matter how big or bad they were, Oseran said.

鈥淗e could kick out the burliest, meanest guy in the room by pointing at the door,鈥� Slutes said.

But Ziegler never really caught on to the whole mixology movement with its creative concoctions and newfangled techniques.

鈥淗e was never a real bartender. He was just a guy behind the bar and he was just that guy,鈥� Slutes said. 鈥滺e was the counselor, the laugher and crier with people. He was no mixologist, but everyone would rather have a drink made by him than anyone in the world.鈥�

Ziegler worked full-time at the Tap Room until about 2017, when he went down to part-time. During the pandemic when the bar was closed, Ziegler would come to the hotel and stand outside, greeting passersby with his big smile and signature bright outfits.

Slutes said having Ziegler in the Tap Room was the connective tissue to the hotel鈥檚 historic and storied past and its present. Ziegler was the face and personality of the hotel for more than half of its lifespan.

鈥淵ou had this great old place like Congress and this person there that made the historical context so real,鈥� Slutes said. 鈥淗e would tell you he had the best job in the world and he鈥檇 tell you how happy he was.鈥�

鈥淗e was always just happy,鈥� recalled his niece, who said she got to know her Uncle Tom from sitting at the bar as a young girl, drinking Shirley Temples and slipping quarters in the jukebox. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 have a lot of things; he had a lot of people and I think that is a true testament to a great life. 鈥� He loved people and truly lived a great life.鈥�

In addition to his sister-in-law and niece, Ziegler is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will hold private graveside services followed by a celebration of life event at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 11.