Cheers to 90 Years: Celebrating the Repeal of Prohibition
This year marks the 90th Anniversary of the passage of the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment which was responsible for the Prohibition of Alcohol. In honor of this milestone, here are a few facts you might not know about America's attempt to outlaw alcohol.
You could still drink (If the Doctor ordered)
While the law may have prevented the sale of alcohol in places such as bars, restaurants, and grocers, there were still a few loopholes that people could jump through. The thought of going without a drink probably made several people feel sick, and when you're feeling sick you call up the doctor to make you better.
Throughout history, alcohol has been believed to have several medicinal qualities. Modern scientific practices and research eventually began to disprove these, causing the American Medical Association to recommend the passing of Prohibition and to remove alcohol from its list of approved medicines. Despite the AMA's advice, Doctors could still prescribe liquor (mainly Whiskey and Brandy) for ailments ranging from fevers to indigestion. Patients could then fill their prescriptions at their local pharmacy.
86'd
If you've ever worked in a bar or restaurant then you know the term "86", and it's probably caused you more than a few headaches. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, "86" refers to when you're out of a certain item or product.
There are several tales of how this term came to be including Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (better known as going AWOL) or the number of ladle scoops it took to empty a pot of soup during the Great Depression. While these seem like plausible explanations, the most common and most well-accepted explanation has its roots in prohibition.
The story goes that Chumley's, a pub and known speakeasy in Greenwich Village in New York City would receive a courtesy call before a police raid. The establishment had an entrance in a courtyard which the police would use and an unmarked door on 86 Bedford St. where the patrons would exit. When the bartender received his courtesy call, he'd "86" the customers and hide the liquor in a series of trapdoors and hidden compartments.
Rum Runners, Bootleggers & Gangsters
When the legal sale of a good people want is restricted, people will turn to illegal means to get it. Despite its good intentions, Prohibition opened the door to an array of illegal activities, organized crime, and smuggling.
Gangs, led by notable figures such as Al Capone, found that they could make quite a bit of money from smuggling, producing, and selling alcohol. Those who smuggled alcohol, mainly over the Canadian border would be called "Bootleggers". Gangs and individuals would often try their hand at distilling their own liquor too. This would often have deadly consequences as the uneducated distillers would sometimes produce poisonous methanol, rather than the ethanol we consume.
In Florida, many used their boats to smuggle rum from the Bahamas. For their actions, the term Rum Runner was born. The name would later be bestowed on the famous tropical cocktail consisting of rum, banana, and blackberry liqueurs.
It still continues in some parts of the US to this day
Despite the 21st Amendment being passed in December of 1933, alcohol sales are still prohibited or restricted in many areas of the United States. These laws, typically called "dry" laws can vary on what they restrict. Many counties, mainly in the southern US, prevent the sale of alcohol in restaurants, retail stores, or both.
While it was a noble experiment, most would probably agree that Prohibition needed to go. So raise a glass, and be thankful you don't have to call the doctor every time your liquor cabinet is running low.
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