Next lesson? Marketing and Distribution. ;)
Posted on 01/17/2025 7:37:03 AM PST by Red Badger
NATIONAL BOOTLEGGER'S DAY
National Bootlegger's Day on January 17th recognizes an era when bootleggers became legendary.
#BootleggersDay
Templeton Rye Whiskey shares its January 17th birthday with bootlegger Al Capone and the son of another bootlegger, Meryl Kerkhoff.
During the 1800s, the term bootlegger came into use in the Midwest. The word described the act of concealing flasks of liquor in a boot top when going to trade with Native Americans. The term found its permanent place in the American vocabulary when Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol in 1920.
Despite now being illegal, thirsty Americans still had a demand for liquor. So while some distilleries switched their production to something legal, others started bootlegging.
Bootleggers helped fill the demand by smuggling various brews from Canada and Mexico and later distilling their liquor in backwoods and secluded areas. Finally, they brought their loot back to sell to speakeasies, individuals, and other establishments.
Other terms, such as rum-runner and moonshiner, became popular during this time as well.
The legend of bootlegging grew to mythological qualities. The Mafia arose out of the illegal and coordinated activities of bootlegging. Glamour, danger, and mystery surround storied names like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Alphonse Kerkhoff, and Bugs Moran.
In 1933, Congress ratified the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition and the "noble experiment."
HOW TO OBSERVE BOOTLEGGERS DAY
Explore the history of the Prohibition Era. Listen to stories or watch old movies surrounding the time of the bootlegger. While you do, share a bottle of Templeton Rye with friends. Be sure to post photos on social media using #BootleggersDay or #TempletonRye.
NATIONAL BOOTLEGGERS DAY HISTORY
Infinium Spirits founded National Bootlegger's Day in 2015 to celebrate the birth of Templeton Rye and explore the history of the bootlegger.
The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed by the day 2015 to be observed on January 17th, annually.
ABOUT TEMPLETON RYE
When Prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages on January 17, 1920, many enterprising residents of a small town in Iowa chose to become outlaws. They began producing a high caliber and much sought-after whiskey known as TEMPLETON RYE, It was also called "THE GOOD STUFF" to those in the know. Alphonse Kerkhoff was one of those Templeton outlaws.
Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became Al Capone's whiskey of choice, quickly finding its way to the center of his bootlegging empire. Templeton Rye is based on the original Prohibition-era Kerkhoff recipe. It is aged in charred new oak barrels for a smooth finish...and a clean getaway.
TR Whiskey Logo - Horizontal (1)
January 17th is not only the birthday of Templeton Rye, but it is also the birthday of Al Capone and the original Bootlegger's son, Meryl Kerkhoff.
Bootleggers FAQ
Q. How old was Al Capone when he went to prison?
A. Al Capone was 33 years old when he went to prison for tax evasion and prohibition charges. He was sentenced to 11 years and served his time at Alcatraz. He was released after seven years.
Q. What is bathtub gin?
A. During the Prohibition Era, people steeped grain alcohol in large tubs (sometimes a bathtub) to get around the 18th Amendment, which expressly prohibited the manufacture, distribution, and sale of distilled alcohol.
Q. Does bootlegging apply only to alcohol?
A. No. Bootlegging is the illegal manufacture, distribution, or sale of goods. It can apply to counterfeit products such as designer brands, electronics, cosmetics, and other products such as food, pharmaceuticals, movies, concerts, and music recordings.
Q. What are other words for bootlegging?
A. Counterfeiting and pirating are types of bootlegging.
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Notable Birthdays for January 17
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) - Founding father and inventor who discovered lightning was electrical.
Lewis Addison Grant (1828-1918) - Teacher, lawyer and Major General for the Union Army.
A. B. Frost (1851-1928) - Illustrator best known for his creation of Brer Rabbit.
Alva Belmont (1853-1933) - Co-founder and President of the National Woman's Party.
Glenn L. Martin (1886-1955) - Founder of the Glenn L. Martin Company.
Al Capone (1899-1947) - Infamous mob boss.
George Sperti (1900-1991) - Inventor of the product Preparation H.
Irving Brecher (1914-2008) - Screenwriter for Groucho Marx movies and the Wizard of Oz.
Betty White (1922-2021) - Multi-award winning actress and comedian.
Jewel Plummer Cobb (1924-2017) - Biologist and cancer researcher who made significant discoveries in the causes and treatment of melanoma.
James Earl Jones (1931-2024) - Multi-award winning actor who will always be recognized by his deep voice.
Shari Lewis (1933-1998) - Ventriloquist and puppeteer of the loved character Lamb Chop.
Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) - World heavyweight champion boxer known as The Greatest.
Anita Borg (1949-2003) - Computer scientist who was a big supporter of women in technology.
Steve Harvey (1957-Still Living) - Actor, comedian, and game show host.
Susanna Hoffs (1959-Still Living) - Singer and founder of the all girl rock band the Bangles.
Michelle Obama (1964 - Still Living) - The first Black First Lady (2009-16) in the history of the U.S.
Memorable Events for January 17
1871 - The first cable car is patented by Andrew Smith Hallidie.
1905 - Charles Brewer & C G Scannell patents punchboards (bingo cards).
1917 - The U.S. buys the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million.
1920 - Prohibition begins in the U.S. as the Volstead Act goes into effect.
1929 - Popeye makes his first appearance in the comic strip Thimble Theater.
1961 - President Eisenhower delivers his farewell address before leaving office on television.
1969 - Black Panther Party members Bunchy Carter and John Huggins are killed during a meeting on the UCLA campus.
1987 - President Reagan signs secret order allowing sale of arms to Iran.
2001 - President Clinton honors the Lewis and Clark Expedition and makes Sakakawea and honorary Sergeant.
Ping! (HIC!) PING!....................
And Al Capone’s birthday too... How appropriate.
Funny now that it’s chic among the “in” crowd to buy corn liquor in mason jars.
Seen it at BevMo and elsewhere. Had a sip of it and it’s about as terrible as imagined - those folks with illegal stills did anything to get their hands on liquor, no matter how foul, it appears.
I found it amusing that back in 2020, during the Scamdemic, liquor distillers were making alcohol for hand sanitizers................
Next lesson? Marketing and Distribution. ;)
We were visiting Beau’s family in Alabama a number of years ago. I had my first sip of REAL Moonshine and I can attest! It tastes like Paint Thinner! Ugh!
Start your engines!
Even during Prohibition, alcohol was still available-just in different forms. You had vanilla extract that was over 20% alcohol, Patent medicines like Lydia Pinkham’s and various cough syrups had more alcohol that whisky, and your doctor could write a prescription for “medicinal alcohol”.
Strickly fer 'Medicinal Purposes', you understand...........
It works really well for that!............
“Funny now that it’s chic among the “in” crowd to buy corn liquor in mason jars.”
At the Thanksgiving gathering last year at my wife’s relatives a guy brought a jar of ‘moonshine’ in a Mason jar. It was brown and I heard him say it had been aged in oak barrels. It wasn’t moonshine of course. This was in the NE GA mountains and I’m sure it was made mostly for the tourists, of which there are many.
At a Christmas gathering years back I saw a nephew of my wife, a deputy sheriff, bring in a pint Mason jar of real moonshine. He gave it to an old guy as a Christmas present. He kind of just slipped it from under his coat and the old guy just quietly tucked it away.
During the 80’s, my Dada and I were at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca Cola 600. Early I was talking to the guy next to me, who was a massive Dale Earnhardt fan, and he produced a jar of shine. I took a rip and couldn’t catch my breath for a minute or two. My Dad then tried it. You could degrease a diesel engine with that stuff. Later, Dale Earnhardt’s engine blew up and he was sidelined. The two guys with the moonshine were so wasted they continued to cheer on Earnhardt, who was probably napping in his motorhome. They never noticed he wasn’t even on the track and wasn’t coming back out. LOL
It does its job quickly and efficiently...............
We need a National Shoplifters Day for the woke enclaves.
That’s July 22..............
Moonshiners make it.
Bootleggers deliver it.
Real moonshine varies greatly in taste and “kick”. If you got some that tasted bad you got a bad batch. About 60 years ago the stuff coming out of Izard County Arkansas (a dry county) went down as smooth as silk and would knock your legs out from under you in a short time. Best liquor legal or illegal that I’ve ever had.
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