It's always 5-o-clock somewhere, the song goes, and this Tuesday, December 5 is a great day for an anytime drink. Why? Because you can. It's the 90th anniversary of the 21st Amendment, which ended Prohibition and gave Americans the right to choose booze. So raise a glass; it's Repeal Day.
First Things First
So how should we celebrate this spirited holiday? To kick off our post-Prohibition party, we asked the ultimate expert: Jeffery Morgenthaler, mixologist, author, and the inventor of Repeal Day. "It's easy!" Morgenthaler explains. "There are no outfits to buy, costumes to rent, rivers to dye green. Simply celebrate the day by stopping by your local bar, tavern, saloon, winery, distillery, or brewhouse and having a drink. Pick up a six-pack on your way home from work. Split a bottle of wine with a loved one. Buy a shot for a stranger. Just do it because you can."
Morgenthaler recommends a drink called the Bourbon Renewal. "It's a crowd pleaser."
Gotcha. It's time to text friends and family and get together for some grog. The great thing about an inclusive, non-denominational holiday is that everyone (over age 21) is invited to the party. Sort of.
Liquor Love, Actually
When the 21st Amendment was ratified back in 1933, the State of South Carolina still had anti-booze laws on the books, so folks in the Palmetto state actually had to wait two more years to imbibe freely.
Indeed, South Carolina has had a long will-they or won't-they affair with alcohol. If we were to name a cocktail that sums up their relationship status, we'd call it the "It's Complicated."
We're all for celebrating as many holidays as possible, so If you'd like a second excuse to toast to freedom, May 15 marks the date South Carolina's government begrudgingly loosened its grip on the bottle. Thomas Novelly of the Post and Courier reports that in 1935, when Governor Olin D. Johnson signed the Liquor Act, which ended the state's experiment with Prohibition, he said, "I personally deplore this." We're thinking he'd RSVP "no" to our Repeal Day party.
That's fine. This great Southern ballroom has always held a mix of teetotalers and party animals. And we've been practicing the dance of vice vs. virtue for several centuries.
Hunting Blind Tigers
Before Prohibition, the law of the land was Governor Ben "Pitchfork" Tillman's Dispensary System (1893 - 1907), which placed all distilleries under government control, mandated the amount of alcohol that could be purchased, and prohibited customers from imbibing drinks on the premises.
Charleston, a so-called "wet" city, was notably opposed to the Dispensary System, which was rife with corruption at every level. The city was known for its "Blind Tigers," underground bars and a secret network of business owners and community leaders who kept the booze flowing.
"From December 1894 to April 1895, some 204 arrests for illegal selling were made in Charleston," writes Paul R. Hibbard in the South Carolina Law Review. "In each case, liquor was seized on the premises; but the grand jury continued to refuse to return indictments and only one of the cases ever came to a jury trial. One grand jury member -- the 'king of the blind tigers' -- himself had been arrested under the Dispensary Law."
That so-called king was likely Vincent Chicco, an Italian immigrant who managed to build an underground business empire and was so beloved by his community that he was elected as an alderman five times. Today, you can celebrate his legacy by paying a visit to Vincent Chicco's restaurant in Hutson Alley or grabbing drinks at Blind Tiger, an upscale pub on Broad Street in downtown Charleston.
Seeing Striped Pigs
The idea of the blind tiger could have roots in the practice of using circus-style exotic animal attractions as cover for liquor operations. Charleston's Striped Pig Distillery gets its name from one such stroke of entrepreneurial brilliance. "It's historic folklore, based on a true story," explains owner and CEO Pixie Paula Dezzutti. In 1838 in Dedham Massachusetts a "clever couple" found a loophole in the Fifteen Gallon Act, which required people to purchase alcohol in quantities of 15 gallons, making it unaffordable to the average person. According to the tale of the "pig of great curiosity" the couple pitched a tent and put a painted pig inside. For the price of a sixpence, customers could gain entrance to the attraction and see the striped animal -- oh, and tent admission came with a free serving of booze.
A multi-hyphenate with 14 different corporations, Dezzutti has a penchant for innovation. So it's no surprise that she's bringing the distillery's mascot into the modern era with a gaming app called the Striped Pig. Players can adopt a porcine pet and earn points as they play. "Think Candy Crush and the Tamagotchis rolled into one," she explains. The new app will be available in early 2024. Dezzutti's voice is full of enthusiasm when she ponders this mix of history and technology. "Three hundred years later I'm still trying to get people to come in and pay a sixpence for a grog of rum."
Change, Change, Change
As we've journeyed through the history of alcohol in America, it's important to remember that we're still a work in progress. Liquor laws are constantly in flux. Dezzutti is currently lobbying to change regulations in Forsyth County, Georgia to pave the way for a new micro-distillery.
South Carolina's distilleries can thank the founders of Firefly Distillery for their legal efforts in 2007 and 2009. "We got two laws changed. One: lower the fee to open a distillery. [We got] $50,000 every two years lowered to $5,000," co-founder Scott Newitt explains. "Two: The ability to open a tasting room, [which means] tours and tastings, bottles sold direct to consumers."
Legal changes like these have allowed many distilleries to flourish and become hubs for community events. Firefly regularly hosts concerts, trivia nights, and even yoga classes. The Striped Pig offers workshops, live music, and open mic nights. Check out Firefly's December Event Lineup or Striped Pig's Event Calendar to keep the Repeal Day spirit going strong all month.
All Together Now
Many industry professionals agree that the bonds that bars and distilleries promote are important to the social fabric. "Bars, taverns, cafés, saloons, whatever you want to call them, they are sacred social spaces," says Morgenthaler. "Community gathering spaces are as old as civilization itself and essential to the very core of what makes us human beings."
Whether it's a saloon or a sanctuary, people need to gather. Dezzutti is in the unique position to speak on both counts. In addition to being in the distillery business, she's also an ordained minister. "It all happens around fellowship," she says. "The first miracle was Jesus turning water into wine. I didn't have to figure out how to put the inspiration in spirits. That was already done 2,000 years ago."
Bonus: It's OK to Stay Sober
Repeal Day is a holiday about appreciating all available options. If alcohol isn't your cup of tea, you can still join the party. Whereas O'Doul's was once the only non-alcoholic brew at most bars, a wide variety of brands have since hopped onto the sobriety wagon. Athletic Brewing Company is a popular new brand for Designated Drivers or folks who just want to take a night off. Non-alcoholic hop water is another hip way to say no to the buzz but yes to the flavor.
"Obviously as a bartender I'm in favor of people consuming alcohol responsibly," says Morgenthaler. "I do think that we're starting to have a real, national conversation about consumption and I believe that's how a society develops a maturity around drinking. Hopefully we can catch up to some of the other countries where drinking isn't as problematic as it's been here in the past."
Whether you decide to toast with a classic gin and tonic or a refreshing glass of sparkling water, you do you. Cheers to the freedom of choice!
