Interesting booze history for Americans

[Conan The Librarian]

I was reading something about history and there was a passage on how beer and wine were the traditional alcoholic drinks of Europe, but they didn't travel well by ship. So hard liquor became popular in America because hard liquor does travel well and lasts a long time.
 
 

[Sourdough]

Back during colonial days water had so many contaminates in it the people made beer to kill all the germs.  Everyone drank beer, even the kids.  There was little market for corn, but a big market for corn liquor.  So most farmers made liquor out of their corn since it brought more money.

I've read extensively about Colonial Life, haven't got time now to discuss it but there is a lot of interesting things like what Conan has said.  Later, got a meeting with Fish and Game got to go.

[blind ear]

Durring prohibition Gulf coast smugglers put bottled Scotch and other hard liquor in oyster sacks ans added packs of salt. If the law got after them they dropped the bags overboard. Overnight the salt melted and the bags floated. The runners would go back and look for them. One barrier island is formed at the intrsection of the Pearl river, Mississippi river and Gulf Stream pressure. The bags would often show up drifted in there. The Island's name is Cat Island and the point is called Good Scotch point. Garbage bags of drugs and bodies are common to drift into that point today. ear

[Sourdough]

Also the Carribian had the Rum, and America was a lot closer than Europe.

[Victor3]

 On a side note, what's the draw of moonshine today? I hear tell it's expensive for good stuff; even more so than some pricey off the shelf (and taxed) liquor(?)


 If that's true (I know nothing about the stuff), why is there a market for it? Just so folks can "stick it to the (tax) man?"

[williamlayton]

The good part about this particular Gov. program is that it works. The taxes were designed to support the system that kept KILLING booze of the street.
Folks----if you don't know what you are buying and what it is--who mde it and how it was made--you can die---many have.
I have a story about shine, a sheriff and how i came to this discovery--if you want to hear it again.
Blessings

[DalesCarpentry]

The good part about this particular Gov. program is that it works. The taxes were designed to support the system that kept KILLING booze of the street.
Folks----if you don't know what you are buying and what it is--who mde it and how it was made--you can die---many have.
I have a story about shine, a sheriff and how i came to this discovery--if you want to hear it again.
Blessings

Yea I would like to hear it. Thanks Dale

[BUGEYE]

Back during colonial days water had so many contaminates in it the people made beer to kill all the germs.  Everyone drank beer, even the kids.  There was little market for corn, but a big market for corn liquor.  So most farmers made liquor out of their corn since it brought more money.

I've read extensively about Colonial Life, haven't got time now to discuss it but there is a lot of interesting things like what Conan has said.  Later, got a meeting with Fish and Game got to go.

that's exactly how they did it.  plus, making wine was one way to keep a fruit crop from being ruined.
I too like reading of colonial times, those were some tough folks the way they survived and thrived.

[blind ear]

On a side note, what's the draw of moonshine today? I hear tell it's expensive for good stuff; even more so than some pricey off the shelf (and taxed) liquor(?)


 If that's true (I know nothing about the stuff), why is there a market for it? Just so folks can "stick it to the (tax) man?"

-
Moonshine can be over 100 proof and often is.
-
During prohibition there was a local family that made shine of high quality. (Mississippi) It tased like Scotch, would bead up on top when you shook it. (They made it until about 30 years ago and I have tasted it.) Congressmen in DC would put in thier orders and it was trucked to DC uninterrupted. Good liquor if done right. ear

[Sourdough]

My Grandfather made whiskey, then bootlegged it as well.  I also remember the preacher telling the congragation about people that had been killed from drinking home brew.  Seems they had used an old car radiator as a condenser, getting antifreeze and lead into the brew.  A deadly combination.  I remember my mother and my Grandfather getting into an argument right after that.  Thought they were going to come to blows. 
 
As for the alure to Moonshine, I think it is the thrill of the unkown by city boys.  And the thought of doing something they are not suposed to do.  To country boys, it's just something they all do.
 

[blind ear]

I certainly buy bonded. My father told me of buying moon from a legger while driving back from Moorhead through Sunflower on the way to Quiver River. Bought 2 coke bottles full. Quarter a bottle. Took one pull and spit most of it out. The rider with him took both bottles and said Thanks. Pop said that he was spitting out sluffed skin from the inside of his mouth the next day. The rider didn't die from it but I don't know how he mixed his drinks. Too much lye put in the mash to speed up the process pop said. ear

[williamlayton]

Once upon a time, boys and girls, I was young  . Me and some buddies planned a little ol weekend party---you know, 16 and so very mature---where we was gonna buy some shine from this ol boy and go out to a country place and have our fill.
Well, I bought the shine, had it in the trunk of my car all two or three (I fergit) quarts of it and was at a local hambrger place in this liitle ol town. We had made our plans and was gettin redy to go do our thang. the other boys had left and I was ready to leave when the Sheriff pulls up beside me. He sez thru the window--no A/C folks. lest tha car was movin--Williamlayton (yup--a real name), can I talk to you.
Yesir, says I and sit down in his car. He said to me, I KNOW what you have in your car, I know who you got it from and when you bought it--know how much you paid--know where your goin and whoall is gonna be there.
Well, I was gettin pretty interested about where this conversation was going and I was all ears, cept for the part of my brain that was imaginin al kinds of things that was gonna happen to me directly.
He sez to me-----I know all about growin up, did it once myownself---and i aint gonna stop the process. You boys go on and do what all you think is fun--drink it all and throw-up what you can't keep down. BUT, I am gonna give you some advice. Go where your going and stay there--take all the food and cigs ya'll need to stay put til your sober---don't wanna catch you drivein around.
Now--there is a lots of folks who make shine around here and I know em all. This ol boy does a good job, but, some don't and those folks can kill you with what they make. From now on, when you boys get a hankerin to have a party, Just drive on over to Trinity County and buy you some beer or bonded whiskey--those ol boys been sellin it to folks your age forever and I got better things to do that run all of ya'll down.
Well, we must have took his advice because the next moring I woke up under an oak tree that I had been huggin--all covered in puke--feelin like nine kinds of hell---full sure I wa dieing and knew that I would never recover---I wasn't the only one either.
Life is tough---we had a good sheriff---bad night-but-he was honest.
Blessings

[DalesCarpentry]

That reminds me of a time when I was about 19 years old and living in Fernandina Beach Fl. There was a cop there named Tommy Harper. He pulled me and a buddy over for one reason or another on a Friday night. We had a couple cases of Budweiser in the car and we were both feeling pretty good. Tommy told me to go home and he did not want to see me driving around the rest of the night or he would take me to jail. I still think of that all these years later. He new we were drunk and he could have given me a DUI right then and there but let me go. I did go home that night because I knew I would be pressing my luck if I did not. I had a couple other small run ins with him over the years and he always let me off with a warning but he also let me know who was boss. He was a good cop and died some time back for some stupid reason. He got sick and according to his religion he was not allowed to seek medical help for what was wrong with him. I forget what he died of but it was something that a trip to the hospital would have cured with no problem. Dale