Making Whiskey

Having been approved by 36 of the 48 U.S. states (75%), the 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on January 16, 1919. Although President Woodrow Wilson initially vetoed it, Congress overrode the veto, and the new law went into effect on January 16, 1920.

This Amendment states, “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.” In addition, “The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

That’s it—Prohibition. While those with initiative and the financial capability created personal stockpiles before the sale and transporting became illegal, others relied on the Black Market, managed by the Mob. And for example, by 1935 in New York City, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs—i.e. secret clubs where “members” could purchase alcohol.

For those not as well placed geographically, financially less capable or simply more enterprising, this meant that if they wanted alcohol to drink after the Amendment went into effect (for it wasn’t illegal to drink alcohol), they had to secretly make their own for themselves. Thus, the sale of implements and even ingredients to make gin, whiskey or beer still became lucrative business, as well. Gin was quite popular, as it was clear and easily disguised with a variety of juices and colorings.

Bricks—or blocks—of wine also became very popular, and accordingly, grape growers in California increased their area about 700% in the first five years of Prohibition to meet the demand for “grape juice.” The juice was packaged and distributed as an actual block with the instruction to dissolve in a gallon of water. The label also included a warning that the liquid should not be placed in a jug away in the cupboard for twenty days or it might turn to wine, thereby providing appropriate distilling instructions.

In November 1922, almost three full years into Prohibition, Leta Chetister officially divorced her husband Ralph and married Albert Mohr. While there is no information on whether she was a supporter or detractor of the law before her second marriage, according to family lore Leta and Ralph built a whiskey still, which they most likely used for their own libation and additional income. (Albert worked in a factory, and Leta took care of their home and her two children.) As far as any in the family know, Leta and Albert managed this enterprise until his murder in June 1927. My current research thus far has yielded no connection between the whiskey making and Albert’s murder.

I do know that in 1925, Ralph filed for custody of the two children, but withdrew his petition two weeks later. I have not yet been able to learn when he married his second wife Eunice Tinkle, so I don’t know if this coincides with his marriage, is related to Leta and Albert’s whiskey-making or he had some other motive. In any case, it is highly likely that the distillery activity ceased either at the death of Albert (when Leta and the children moved) or upon her marriage to Ora Freeman in December 1927.

As for the 18^th Amendment, it was handily repealed on December 5, 1933. Eight months after President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, which legalized the manufacture and sale of 3.2 beer. On the day after he signed the legislation, the president received a case of 3.2 beer from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. delivered by a team of the world-famous Clydesdale horses directly to the White House.