Episode Notes:
In this episode of Unpretentious Eats, we dive deep into the history of Prohibition, exploring how the 18th Amendment failed spectacularly and its lasting impact on the U.S. Today’s discussion touches on the rise of neo-prohibitionism and its troubling resemblance to the ill-fated Prohibition Era. From Oregon’s controversial “Rethink the Drink” initiative to the unintended consequences of alcohol bans, we break down the connection between past policies and modern-day restrictions. Along the way, we uncover how Prohibition not only led to an underground bootlegging economy but also fueled crime, corruption, and economic setbacks.
Join us for an eye-opening look at why revisiting Prohibition is a misguided path and how we can learn from history to make better choices about alcohol policies today.
Plus, stick around for a brief update on my current obsession of the week – a domestic liqueur that might just become your new favorite!
Listen in for an engaging discussion about the past, present, and future of alcohol regulation—and stick around for my current obsession of the week!
Heirloom Pineapple Amaro- https://heirloomliqueurs.com/products/pineapple-amaro/
The Juicy Rabbit Cocktail Recipe- https://unpretentious-eats.com/2025/02/21/the-juicy-root-a-unique-cachaca-cocktail-experience/
Transcript:
Welcome to Unpretentious Eats, the place for Tasting Life Through Food, Wine, and Spirits, where you’ll be joining me, your host, Alyssa Van Osdahl, as we explore the many ways that food and drink connect us and affect our lives.
Hello, and welcome to episode 4 of Unpretentious Eats. First off, I owe you all an apology for the delay in releasing last week’s episode. After a wonderful surprise weekend in Sonoma for Valentine’s Day, I came back with a nasty cold, and it totally wrecked my voice.
You can probably still hear a little bit of it now. But honestly, it was so worth it. My fiance and I drove all the way from San Diego up to the Bay Area to check out a potential wedding venue.
Okay, let me just tell you his name. I’m tired of the whole anonymous thing because I feel like such a dick saying fiance over and over again, so Dylan. His name is Dylan.
Back to the story. Dylan, being the incredibly thoughtful person he is, surprised me with something really special. Lately, I’ve been really missing my life in Sonoma.
Okay, I’ve been crying about it, I’ll be honest. And he decided to surprise me the morning before we left, letting me know that we weren’t just going up for the morning of the viewing. We were actually going up for two nights to stay in Sonoma and visit all of my favorite spots from when we used to live there.
I know, isn’t he so sweet? But anyway, between the surprise and my cold, I didn’t manage to record last week’s episode. Before we dive into today’s topic and finish up with my current obsession of the week, if you’re enjoying this podcast, please take a moment to hit the follow button and leave a review.
Your reviews mean the world to me and they help spread the word so others can enjoy the show too. You can also keep up with the latest on my website unpretentiouseats.com or follow me on Instagram. All right, grab your glass of wine, a cocktail, or whatever you’re sipping on today and let’s get into it.
So, recently, I read a very disappointing article that just made my head spin. Neoprohibitionism is on the rise in the United States, and it’s currently causing havoc on the industry in Oregon in particular. I’ll link the full article in the show notes for those that are really curious after this podcast, but I’m just going to summarize.
The article examines the rise of neoprohibitionism, particularly through the Rethink the Drink, RTD, initiative launched by the Oregon Health Authority, OHA, and its impact on alcohol consumption policies. The RTD campaign includes ads like the Y commercial, which questions the health benefits of alcohol and implies that consuming even small amounts of alcohol, such as wine, is unhealthy. This messaging has sparked protests all over Oregon and is particularly hitting the wine industry hard, which is now accusing the OHA of unfairly targeting wine over beer and spirits, which are the larger revenue generators for the state.
Biased aside of who’s being affected more, this article highlights growing concerns that OHA shift may be influenced by groups like Oregon Recovers, which advocates for reduced alcohol consumption and stricter policies, including increased taxes on alcohol. The OHA’s stance aligns with the World Health Organization’s suggestion that there are no safe levels of alcohol, a viewpoint reflected in recent recommendations and public health guidelines. Furthermore, the article discusses the potential long-term consequences of these campaigns, suggesting that they may be part of a broader global movement towards more extreme alcohol regulations, similar to prohibition.
The piece expresses concern that if successful in Oregon, this model could spread to other states, increasing restrictions on alcohol availability, pricing, marketing, maybe even more blackout days or no sales altogether. Producers in the state have even voiced the concern that the OHA and RTD are purposely leaving out research findings that contradict their message, such as the finding in a 2020 study that showed higher taxes and stricter rules won’t actually affect those that are already abusers of alcohol and are most likely to become abusers, but instead lowers the sales of people that already don’t drink that much or don’t drink at all. Hmm, I wonder what historical moments have already proved that.
Maybe the failed 18th Amendment, otherwise known as the Prohibition Era? Or for a more modern example, maybe Nixon’s War on Drugs? As to all this research pointing to no amount of alcohol being safe to consume, that is because none of the organizations can agree on a safe amount, and so the message has become no amount.
Ask any centenarian why they lived for so long and most say something cheeky like a glass of wine or a shot of bourbon every day. Or maybe we should address the coincidental rise in loneliness and depression as alcohol consumption goes down, and more and more people socialize less and less, and not just because of health concerns, but because of already rising prices in alcohol, and more and more restaurants and bars closing all over the country because of this. All of this inspired me to do an episode on the history of prohibition, or the failed amendment, as I like to call it.
It’s one thing to attack marketing and say that it needs to be regulated to send a more safe drinking message. It’s a completely different thing to even suggest prohibition-esque laws. Maybe prohibition needs to be better taught in our schools, because if you properly examine the effects that prohibition had on this country, and how it epically failed, you would realize how ridiculous even suggesting going back to prohibition is.
So, let’s do this. Let’s get into the epic fuck up that was the 18th Amendment. Concerns about alcohol consumption in the United States go all the way back 200 years to 1830, when alcohol consumption in America was high, with the average person drinking nearly 7 gallons of pure alcohol yearly.
This led to widespread alcohol abuse, particularly affecting women who had few legal rights. The temperance movement emerged in the 1830s, driven by reformers, many of whom were abolitionists. Initially promoting moderation, the movement eventually pushed for the complete prohibition of alcohol through government legislation.
Hmm, very interesting. It’s almost like history suggesting that a lack of rights and therefore a lack over one’s own destiny can be heavily linked to alcohol consumption and abuse. Interesting.
But anyway, after the Civil War, as immigrants flooded US cities and beer consumption grew, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, WCTU, led by Francis Willard, gained massive traction. The WCTU, alongside suffragists and progressives, campaigned for alcohol prohibition, seeing it as the root cause of many social issues. Issues like spousal abuse, child abandonment, petty crimes, abortion, and other complex social issues.
They came to the conclusion that all of this was the fault of just alcohol, rather than what turned out to be many underlying issues and causes. I mean, I guess it’s easier to spread the issue of women’s rights if you blame the issue on drink, rather than attacking the issue of patriarchy and systematic lack of respect for women. Now, this isn’t saying that there weren’t other issues or other prejudices that were going on during this time.
Obviously, racism was very high. But this campaign was heavily led by women, and so I think it’s very important to understand that. This also doesn’t mean there weren’t male forces behind it as well.
The Anti-Saloon League, ASL, led by Wayne Wheeler, played a pivotal role in pushing for a constitutional amendment banning alcohol. By uniting various political, social, and business groups regardless of who they supported, the ASL successfully made alcohol prohibition a national priority. At this point, they were even utilizing the hatred of Germans after World War I to create propaganda and a scare of beer since Germans were the largest producers and they also brought wine making practices with them to the United States.
And then in 1917, the 18th Amendment was passed and prohibition took effect on January 17th, 1920. However, enforcing the ban proved difficult as illegal alcohol production and distribution quickly became widespread. Literally only a few hours after the amendment passed, several warehouses and transportation trucks were knocked over and the now illegal substance was stolen.
Prohibition was intended to curb alcohol consumption, reduce crime, and improve public health. It was based on the belief that alcohol was a moral and social problem that needed to be eradicated. However, its impact was far from what supporters had hoped for and the era was marked by numerous unintended consequences.
One of the biggest failures of Prohibition was the economic downturn that it caused. Supporters of the 18th Amendment had expected that eliminating alcohol would boost other industries such as clothing, theater, and soft drinks as people would now seek new forms of entertainment. However, the opposite happened.
Hmm, shocker. Restaurants, theaters, and bars everywhere, which relied on alcohol sales for profit, went out of business or faced significant financial challenges. In addition, Prohibition led to the loss of thousands of jobs in breweries, distilleries, wineries, and other related industries like transportation and manufacturing.
All of this led to a very negative and disappointing economic outcome. The loss of liquor tax revenue was also devastating for states and federal governments. Many states, like New York, had relied heavily on excise taxes for alcohol sales to fund their budgets.
When Prohibition took effect, those tax revenues evaporated, forcing the government to turn to other sources of income, such as income taxes, to fill the gap. The federal government lost an estimated $11 billion in alcohol taxes, while spending over $300 million trying to enforce the laws. Enforcement, now there’s another issue.
The Volstead Act, which enforced Prohibition, left several loopholes allowing people to find ways around the law. One of the most notable exceptions allowed pharmacists to dispense alcohol for medicinal purposes. This led to a rise in pharmacies as fronts for bootlegging operations.
Doctors pocketed an estimated $40 million in medicinal whiskey prescriptions, and the bootleg market saw earnings of $3.6 billion in 1926, or approximately $50 billion in today’s money. Similarly, religious groups were allowed to distribute wine for sacramental uses, which led to an increase in the number of self-proclaimed rabbis and other religious leaders who could legally procure alcohol. Additionally, many people resorted to making their own alcohol at home, often using kits that were sold under the guise of grape juice concentrate.
No surprise, the black market for alcohol flourished, and bootleggers made enormous profits often selling low-quality, very dangerous alcohol. The poor quality of legally produced alcohol resulted in thousands of deaths from poisoning, with around 1000 deaths per year due to tainted liquor. People were literally drinking rubbing alcohol mixed with unsafe ingredients for flavoring.
How did they make whiskey, you might ask? A very common method was letting dead rats soak in the industrial-grade liquor for color and flavor. And thanks to crime lords and mob bosses like Al Capone, homicides, burglaries, and assaults increased significantly between 1920 and 1933.
Consequently, this led to the growth of corruption within law enforcement. Again, I’m having flashbacks to the War on Drugs movement. But anyway, the financial incentives surrounding the illegal alcohol trade led to bribery and involvement in bootlegging by police officers and government agents.
This corruption undermined public trust in the justice system and law enforcement, as many officials became either complicit in or directly involved with illegal activities. Courts and jails became overcrowded with cases related to alcohol violations, and the legal system struggled to keep up with the increased number of arrests. This led to the widespread use of plea bargains, which became a common practice during Prohibition and remains a part of the American legal system today.
Despite the law’s intent to reduce alcohol consumption, the opposite occurred. Many Americans continued to drink, and in some cases, consumption actually increased during Prohibition. Speakeasies, illegal bars, flourished, and the culture of scaffold laws emerged, where breaking the law became normalized.
The very law meant to reduce alcohol abuse instead encouraged greater defiance and drinking, as well as a disregard for authority. It created an environment for alcohol to thrive without safety or regulation. Some historians and economists have even suggested that while not the main cause, that Prohibition and its many negative economic and social effects, gave way to the Great Depression.
I mean, follow the timeline. The 18th Amendment went into effect January 17, 1920, and wasn’t repealed until December 5, 1933. Four years after the Great Depression started in 1929!
While it can’t be proven, it could easily be theorized that those involved in the stock market took advantage of the chaotic times, especially a compromised legal system, and got too carried away, leading to the stock market crash. Or more worse and maybe more simple, maybe they were just too drunk off illegal, unsafe foods to comprehend what they were doing. But again, these are just theories.
Who really knows? So, as you can see, Prohibition was a complete and utter failure and embarrassment for the United States. Again, this failed approach was used by Nixon in the War on Drugs effort, and we all know how that’s going.
So, why anyone thinks it would work this time is beyond me. I get the health concerns, I get that you’re worried, but here’s the thing. If people are concerned about alcohol being carcinogenic, studies show that the biggest factors are how much you drink and your genetic predisposition.
In other words, if cancer runs in your family, it’s smart to limit your drinking. And of course, for your liver’s sake, it’s never a good idea to drink to blackout every weekend. So, what is the most effective way to ensure safe drinking among young people?
No, it’s not making it harder to get, making it illegal, or trying to scare them. The best way, as with anything, is to normalize being responsible and learning to respect what you are doing rather than idolize the forbidden allure that is alcohol. And now for the fun part, and to really let it sink in, here’s a quick fact.
A certain dictator from a certain 1940s German regime we all know who I’m talking about, someone who committed some of history’s most unforgivable atrocities, didn’t drink, because he believed alcohol clouded the mind. But guess what he did drink? He loved Coca-Cola and he loved other sodas.
So if we’re going to talk about bad for your health and bad for society, I think that’s a better contender, especially when you consider that obesity is the number one cause of death in the United States. Oh, and did I mention that he was also a strict vegetarian? Maybe we should invest some money into researching what effects completely avoiding consuming anything that brings you joy for the sake of health and eternal life has on someone’s psychological state.
Just a thought. Well, I hope you enjoyed this brief dive into Prohibition and why I think it’s an experiment we definitely don’t need to repeat. Up next, I’ll be talking about my current obsession of the week right after this quick break.
Okay, I’m back. Let’s get into my current obsession for the week. Apologies for skipping this on the last episode.
If you heard it, I’m sure you noticed that I was having some technical issues, and I just couldn’t stand to record for much longer than I had to. But those issues were fixed and we’re back to normal. So, my current obsession is all about finding amazing domestic products or fantastic local alternatives to imports.
This is a challenge, though, because some things just can’t be fully replicated thanks to something called terroir. If you’ve ever been wine tasting, you know what I mean. I know it sounds fancy, and I know it really makes me sound like a snob, but it’s actually a really great French term for what makes a product or food special based on the unique environment where it’s grown or produced.
Now, while you won’t be able to find an exact substitute for something grown or made in another country, that doesn’t mean you can’t find an incredible alternative that could even end up being your new favorite. This obsession started back in 2020 during the pandemic, when getting my favorite imports became very difficult. And now I’m preparing to face another difficult situation with the current threat of tariffs on these beloved imports.
One of my favorite categories of liqueurs is Amaro and other botanical or bitter liqueurs. These were originally crafted for medicinal purposes to aid in digestion or to soothe stomach ailments, before they became popular as after-dinner drinks or cocktail mixers. Currently, my obsession is the domestic brand called Heirloom liqueurs.
If you follow my Instagram, you’ve probably seen my most recent cocktail, the Juicy Rabbit, which uses Heirloom’s Pineapple Amaro. It’s delicious all on its own, but in a cocktail, it’s a game changer. I discovered it by chance several years ago at the Epicurean in the San Francisco Ferry Building, and after I ran out, I couldn’t find it at my local stores anywhere.
So I went online and was thrilled to find not only the Pineapple Amaro, but also other unique liqueurs from them. Even cooler, their creators are the co-founder and longtime employee of Bitter Cube, the amazing bitters company from Wisconsin. If you’ve never used their vanilla cherry bitters, you are missing out.
I could go on and on about all their products, but let’s stick to the Pineapple Amaro which I’ve bought the most of. The website describes it as rich and fruity yet sophisticated and bitter. And that’s exactly right.
It has this nice pineapple flavor up front with spicy bitter notes that follow. I’ve enjoyed it alone with spicy meals, and it works wonderfully in cocktails, swapping out any bitter or sweet liqueur. One of the reasons I’m sharing this brand in particular is because it’s easy to find online, and it’s at a great price of $44.99.
I know that might seem pricey, but trust me, it’s worth it. When it comes to unpretentious products, it’s never about being cheap. Sometimes when you purchase something that costs very little, it’s not because it’s unpretentious, but because it’s crap.
Finding unpretentious products is all about finding something that’s of great value for its quality and uniqueness. I believe that this brand hits all those markers. I’ll include a link in the show notes if you want to order a bottle, and you can try it in my cocktail, The Juicy Rabbit.
Recipe is on my website. Or, swab it out in place of simple syrup for a fun twist on a classic daiquiri. I hope you enjoyed this week’s episode.
Let me know your thoughts on Prohibition, or if you try Heirloom’s Pineapple Amaro and love it. Be sure to tune in next week for another fun episode of Unpretentious Eats, and don’t forget to hit the follow button if you enjoy this podcast. Or follow me on Instagram or the website to stay connected with all things Unpretentious Eats.
Cheers!
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