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National Bootlegger's Day On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment officially took effect nationwide. If you're not up to snuff on your American history, the 18th Amendment was known as national Prohibition. It called for the banning of the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverage. It even banned "intoxicating liquors", except for those used in religious services, of course. Led by the Temperance Movement, Prohibition was officially ratified on January 16, 1920 and fell into place the next day. Today, January 17 is known as National Bootlegger's Day. The Temperance Movement began in the early 1800s in an effort to promote the complete abstinence of alcohol from public life. Popular in religious groups, and heavily motivated by religion, churches paved the way for the group's platform to take hold. The national organization began in 1895 after decades of lobbying, and finally, the Volstead Act, or the Eighteenth Amendment, was passed on October 28, 1919. President Woodrow Will vetoed the National Prohibition Act, but Congress overrode the veto. It was set to begin on January 17, 1920. Only two states rejected the amendment: Connecticut and Rhode Island. Of course we all know what follows. Distilling illegal liquor reached a fever pitch in the 1920s, whether in decadent city speakeasies or in the hills of Tennessee. For most families, distilling liquor wasn't about breaking the law, it was about making ends meet. Poverty threatened to break apart rural families at the seams (read more about that here), and often, moonshining was just another way to put a little extra food on the table. Why is January 17 listed as National Bootlegger's Day? Apart from the beginning of Prohibition, January 17 marks the birth of Templeton Rye. A rye whiskey made in the small town of Templeton, Iowa during Prohibition as a way for farmers to supplement their incomes, it was considered some of the highest quality. The liquor circulated throughout the United States, and was a frequent offering at Michigan, Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha speakeasies. Interestingly enough, January 17, 1899 was Al Capone's birthday. Big Al who only drank "The Good Stuff", drank Templeton Rye, which is just part of its legendary history. With the gangster's seal of approval, it became known colloquially as Capone's Whiskey and thirsty Americans deprived of regular liquor sales began to rave about its smoothness. In 2006, Templeton Rye Spirits officially launched and have begun to embrace their Prohibition-era history with bootleggers, Al Capone, and its nickname. Back to legal production with the help of Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff, who passed away in 2010, Templeton regained its prestige in the American whiskey market. Aged in charred new oak barrels, Templeton Rye is more than just a whiskey, it's a piece of Midwest history made right here in Iowa. |
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1/16/2019 6:25 pm |
How in the hell did they pull prohibition off???
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1/16/2019 6:25 pm |
one day you own a bar... the next you are a criminal?
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1/16/2019 6:26 pm |
You show up for work at a distillery and are fired?
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1/16/2019 6:27 pm |
With NO prior warning or lead time? THAT's NUTZ
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That just goes to show you how a small group of lobbyists can influence and control governments. It is now time to outlaw lobbying.
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1/16/2019 9:39 pm |
That just goes to show you how a small group of lobbyists can influence and control governments. It is now time to outlaw lobbying.
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1/16/2019 11:26 pm |
Drove the price of grain down ad 1000's out of legitimate jobs into crime. Nothing changed... those that would drink still got their booze from smugglers . Canada & Mexico made a fortune supplying our needs.
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1/17/2019 7:35 am |
The first time I read the 2nd picture I thought it was talking about you
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1/17/2019 7:36 am |
Had friends from out of state and visiting Templeton Rye was on their to do list.
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1/17/2019 10:11 am |
The first time I read the 2nd picture I thought it was talking about you
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1/17/2019 10:13 am |
Had friends from out of state and visiting Templeton Rye was on their to do list.
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