Happy Repeal Day!

By Rob Christopher in News on Dec 5, 2010 7:00PM

On December 5, 1933, The "noble experiment" (which was pretty much a miserable failure) drew to a close. Prohibition was finally repealed when Utah, the last state needed for a three quarters majority, ratified the 21st amendment to the Constitution.

Chicago history buffs know that the venerable Berghoff was issued Liquor License #1. The 12/5/33 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune (accessible online if you have a Chicago Public Library card) boasts the headline "14-YEAR DRY ERA ENDS TODAY; CHICAGO TO GIVE LEGAL LIQUOR A GAY WELCOME" and proceeds to list in mouth-watering detail the 6,870 gallons of spirits being held in the customs warehouses, ready for distribution the moment Prohibition was lifted, including

Whiskey, 400 gallons; sparking Burgundy, 125 cases; champagne, 415 cases; vermouth, 300 cases; cognac, 50 cases; port wine, 500 cases; sherry wine, 500 cases; Rhine and Moselle wines, 300 cases.

The newspaper's front page also contains a highly amusing FAQ, instructing readers the exact time repeal will go into effect, where liquor may be bought (at more than 7,000 licensed taverns, hotels, and restaurants), what alcohol will be available ("bountiful stocks of domestic wines ... 'adequate stocks' of bonded bourbon and imported Scotch"), and even what prices to expect.

If you're in the mood to celebrate Repeal Day (and, really, why wouldn't you be?) trawl through our Properly Sauced archives and let 'er rip. Pre-Prohibition favorites of ours include the Gin Fix, Gimlet, Fish House Punch, and Chicago's very own Auditorium Cocktail.

(Ed. Note: For more information on the repeal of prohibition in Chicago, we recommend also looking through the Chicagoist Archives for our 2008 features on the Drake Hotel's Coq D'or Room; Schaller's Pump and Shinnick's Pub in Bridgeport; the Green Door Tavern in River North; Green Mill; and Frances Willard and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. — CS)