22 Things You Didn’t Know About Prohibition

During Prohibition in the United States, Winston Churchill referred publicly to the Constitutional amendment banning alcohol as "an affront to the whole history of mankind."

Prohibition agent Izzy Einstein bragged that he could find liquor in any city in under 30 minutes. In Chicago it took him 21 minutes. In Atlanta 17 minutes, and Pittsburgh just 11 minutes. But New Orleans set the record of 35 seconds. Einstein asked his taxi driver where to get a drink, and the driver handed him one.

During prohibition, Herbert Hoover would go to the Belgian embassy to have martinis, as it was not illegal to possess alcohol on foreign soil.

During Prohibition, many major breweries turned to sell malt extract for use in baking bread and desserts. It was also hop flavored. One city reported enough was sold each week to make 16 loaves of bread for every man, woman, and child.

The movement for Prohibition led to American beer-makers moving towards lighter, blander beers in the early part of the 20th century as they tried to emphasize that beer was healthier than whiskey

During Prohibition, bootlegger William S. McCoy became famous for never watering down his beer or booze as opposed to many who did so to stretch profits. As a result, people starting calling his products, "the real McCoy."

During prohibition, Winston Churchill received a prescription for alcohol when he visited the United States, his Doctor writing, "The quantity [prescribed] is naturally indefinite."

During the prohibition era, the Long Island Iced Tea originated in the United States because when it was all combined it looked like a non-alcoholic iced tea.

During Prohibition, federal agents Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith disguised themselves as grave-diggers, football players, Russian women, rabbis, judges, and plumbers (among many others). Together, they seized more than 5 million bottles of illicit booze and made 4,932 arrests.

During Prohibition, cases of liver cirrhosis decreased by almost two-thirds.