John Barleycorn, Prohibition Violation, New York 1920

It’s been a year since the Prohibition Act came into effect in New York City, and the city’s nightlife is still thriving. The ‘wets’ claim that the law has failed in the Big Apple, but the ‘drys’ retort that it has succeeded elsewhere and the future belongs to the 18th Amendment. The truth, however, lies in the shadows of the city’s underbelly. In the city’s upscale hotels, drinks are still flowing, and in many of the old haunts that predated the Prohibition era, bootlegged liquor is still widely available. Even in the city’s newer establishments, hidden speakeasies have sprouted up, catering to the wealthy elite. Meanwhile, in the city’s working-class neighborhoods, homemade brew is being brewed in secret, often in plain sight. For the affluent, a discreet flask with a silver-tipped top is the accessory of choice, while the less well-off opt for a simple glass bottle, sometimes labeled with a hint of truth. But the manufacture of homebrew has taken on a whole new level of sophistication, with the rise of high-quality, illicit liquor production. It’s a cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and those who flout the law, with the city’s underbelly being the ultimate winner. As one observer notes, ‘If you’re wealthy, you carry a fancy flask; if you’re poor, you carry a plain glass bottle.’ The city’s speakeasies are a testament to the human spirit’s ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity. But the question remains: how long can this underground empire sustain itself before the law finally catches up?

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