America’s Cheap Whiskey Drinking Peak

By 1830, alcohol use in America had likely reached its peak, with the average American over 15 drinking nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol a year. Midwestern corn farmers often converted grain into whiskey because distilling helped preserve crops that could otherwise spoil before reaching market. A gallon of whiskey cost about 25 cents, so many Americans averaged the equivalent of four shots a day at a cost of less than a penny per drink.

Previous Fact Next Fact