Bootlegger's Day

Bootlegger's Day is January 17th

Celebrating the history of the bootlegger, this day was invented by Templeton Rye, a Prohibition-era whiskey company in honor of the start of prohibition on January 17, 1920. The date is often marked as the 16th, but the law did not go into affect until after midnight. Ironically, one of the original rye whiskey brewers was born on January 17th as well, thus this date was the perfect day to celebrate. 

Prohibition and Templeton Whiskey

Prohibition was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. Following the Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) created from the 18th amendment (1917) at the time, in 1920 that was later repealed in 1933, Templeton Rye Whiskey was born. A whiskey company created in Templeton, Iowa during the Prohibition Era, tracing back to Al Capone. Templeton Rye was known as Capone’s favorite whiskey, later becoming a big part of his bootleg empire. This whiskey was created by the local farmers and merchants who depended on each other to make a living. One of the more prolific collaborators of the company were Alphons Kerkhoff and Scott Bush and family. Today, Templeton Rye Whiskey is still locally produced and bottled in Templeton, Iowa.

Bootlegging

Bootlegging originally was a practice from the 1880s, of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in boot tops when trading with Native Americans and later coined by popular usage during the Prohibition Era. Bootlegging is illegally trafficking liquor in violation of legislative restrictions on its manufacture, sale or transportation. The Templeton Rye Bootleggers Society “is a community of Templeton Rye whiskey enthusiasts — a club for fans like you to stay in the know about anything and everything having to do with The Good Stuff.”

So, whether you drink your whiskey out of a boot or a glass, make sure to enjoy the ‘good stuff’ and all the history.