Happy National Bootlegger’s Day! On January 17th, today recognizes an era when bootleggers became legendary.
January 17th is the birthday of American gangster, businessman and Templeton Rye Whiskey bootlegger Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone (sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface") and the son of another bootlegger, Meryl Kerkhoff, one of the key figures in that resurgence.
The earliest use of the term “bootlegger” was during the 1880s in the Midwest when one would conceal flasks of liquor in their boot tops when going to trade with Native Americans.
The term found its permanent place in the American vocabulary when U.S. 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. While some distilleries switched their production to something legal, others took to the illegal route in bootlegging.
Bootleggers helped fill the demand by smuggling various brews from Canada and Mexico, and later distilling their own liquor in backwoods and secluded areas.
They later 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.
Bootlegging has a legendary history. The Mafia arose out of the illegal and coordinated activities of bootlegging. Storied names like Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugs Moran and Alphonse Kerkhoff are each surrounded by glamour, danger and mystery.
Prohibition was eventually repealed in 1933 when U.S. Congress ratified the Twenty-First Amendment.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Share a bottle of Templeton Rye with friends. Post photos on social media using #BootleggersDay or #TempletonRye.
HISTORY
Infinium Spirits founded National Bootlegger's Day in 2015 to celebrate the birth of Templeton Rye. The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed by the day 2015 to be observed on January 17th.
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 – producing a high caliber and much sought-after whiskey known as Templeton Rye, or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know.
Alphonse Kerkhoff, the son of Meryl, was one of those Templeton Rye outlaws. He was also one of the most prolific Prohibition-era producers of “The Good Stuff”.
Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became 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 also a clean getaway.
January 17th is not only the birthday of Templeton Rye, but it’s also the birthday of Capone as well as the original Bootlegger’s son, Meryl himself.
#BootleggersDay
#TempletonRye
@InfiniumSpiritsSpeakeasy
@bootleggers.us
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