The Intoxicologist Is In

The 75^th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States is this Friday, December 5^th.  What will you have to drink in celebration of this significant day in history?  The better answer is what were the men and women of the Prohibition Era drinking?  History tells us it clearly was not always coffee, tea or water. 

One theory is that during the Prohibition Era, Canadian Club Whisky was clandestinely stowed away in wooden cases and unmarked barrels to be secreted over the border into the United States.  Al Capone is rumored to have been one of the most infamous Canadian Club smugglers.  Of course, it is alleged that Al Capone dipped his fingers into quite a few famous liquor brands and tippled and sipped his way into infamy for his misdeeds.  However, income tax evasion is the crime that eventually did not pay and locked him away for good. 

Canadian Club offered a few tidbits of Prohibition Era trivia for you to throw out as conversation starters at your very own Repeal Day party this Friday:

·         Legend has it that bottles of Canadian Club were inside cases stolen by Al Capone during an ambush in Chicago on February 14, 1929 – an event referred to today as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

·         Canadian Club became a favorite cargo item for legendary smugglers like Captain William S. McCoy, who earned a reputation for hauling only quality contraband, not the watered-down knock-offs commonly found during the era.  His shipments of top-quality brands like Canadian Club became known as “The Real McCoy,” a phrase still used today.

·         The term “bootlegging” comes from the shape of the bottle used to smuggle whisky during prohibition because it would very easily fit into the boot and curve around the shape of your ankle/calf.

·         Rumor has it that there are still thousands of Canadian Club bottles sitting at the bottom of the Detroit River from bootleggers who threw it overboard to avoid getting caught.

Below are a few Canadian Club cocktail recipes for the bootlegging racketeer in you.  No need to worry about getting caught like Al Capone if you drink responsibly and stay off the streets.