The 1920’s were a tough decade in the United States. An entire decade of no whiskey would keep even the best man or woman down. No whiskey at bars, restaurants, or homes...well legally...unless of course you were sick. At the time, Whiskey was legally only available for medicinal purposes. Ironically during the time period, the number of sick individuals seeking pharmacist care skyrocketed.
Tooth ache? Tummy ache? Identity crisis? Mid life crisis?! No worries fella, Dr. Feelgood has you covered.
This was the golden age for pharmacists and they needed product. These sick, unfortunate souls need their medicine!
Prohibition had rained on the distillery industry’s parade for so long that very few operations remained open a decade after it began. Those that survived did so with approval of a medicinal use distillation permit. Inventory was scarce.
In an effort to replenish the whiskey stock, in 1929 the U.S. government approved a Distiller’s Holiday. A 100-day production blitz where the distiller could produce as much medicinal whiskey as possible to replenish inventory levels. During this “holiday,” the whiskey rainmakers distilled over 3,000,000 gallons of liquid courage.
It was a resounding success. The sickly U.S. population once again had a bottle of booze to cure all its problems!
The 100 day blitz also marked the only major government holiday in history where the recipient of said Holiday was voluntold to work it’s a** off on said day (plus 99 more!). Thank you, Uncle Sam, may I have another?
Prohibition ended 4 years later. The legend of the Distiller’s Holiday never returned.
Boom! Another Shot of Knowledge!