Booze and the war years

[Sharpsburg]

Just curious, has anyone seen anything written about how rationing and the war years effected America's bars and pubs? Did rationing make certain types of liquor unattainable or require substitutes? I've never seen anything written on this. Any leads?

Thanks!

Mary S.

 

[John in Covina]

I had assumed that shipping of Scotch and Irish whiskeys was curtailed during the war and there were shortages.

Note that in the Godfather Part One (time frame is 1946) the scene where Luca Brazzi is killed at Tatallia's Club, Bruno Tatallia offers Luca "Scotch, Pre-War" which indicates that it was still hard to get.

 

[Shangas]

I can't remember if alcohol was rationed or not during the war. No reading that I've done has ever indicated that it was. If it wasn't, then it certainly would have been very hard to buy, I imagine. Imported alcohol would almost have certainly ground to a halt.

 

[Geesie]

I recall reading somewhere (might have been here) that wartime rationing + overseas issues led to a rise in rum's popularity during the war years.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Beer was often very hard to get during the war years -- it wasn't formally rationed, but grains were being heavily diverted to the war effort, which forced brewers to cut way back their output. The armed forces had first call on what beer was produced, so there was comparatively little left for Joe Sudsguzzler on the homefront.

There very nearly was formal rationing of beer *after* the war -- there was a drastic grain shortage in 1947, and the brewing industry cut way back on production during 1947 and 1948 to avoid government-administered rationing.

 

[Jay]

I'm not sure if this would help, but I feel like this would have been mentioned in a Bukowski story if rationing was the case.

 

[the hairy bloke]

Don't forget that Prohibition had enede only a short while before, so there could well have been residual difficulties in supply due to a number of firms having gone under (this will be the subject of my mythical Phd someday).

I do believe that US ships were still dry, whereas Roayal Navy vessels still had the spirits ration. So RN officers on exchange were always very popular as they had their ration forwarded to them.

 

[Atinkerer]

I remember reading somewhere that before the war, Scotch wasn't very popular in America and considered vastly inferior to Irish Whiskey. If I remember correctly, during the war, Scotch was easier for service men to get in England, and so it became a familiar drink to Americans on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tony

 

[John in Covina]

America is noted mostly for whiskey production but our home distiller companies produce a lot of other styles of liquor today. I don't know what type of line up was around although I do believe Gordan's was making gin back then. It may not have been rationing on our side but rationing of grains for liquor produce outside the US such as Ireland or Scotland. I also wonder if there was more crucial considerations as to what was shipped back in those Liberty ships returning from the European Theater of Operations. I don't think much non-war materials commerce was going on and being shipped.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Don't forget that Prohibition had enede only a short while before, so there could well have been residual difficulties in supply due to a number of firms having gone under (this will be the subject of my mythical Phd someday).

Prohibition had ended almost a decade before, and output cranked up to pre-Prohibition levels in pretty short order.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Note that in the Godfather Part One (time frame is 1946) the scene where Luca Brazzi is killed at Tatallia's Club, Bruno Tatallia offers Luca "Scotch, Pre-War" which indicates that it was still hard to get.

That could also be indicative that Scotch produced during or post-war was an inferior product, OR it could also just be another way of indicating it's well-aged, or harder to get.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Prohibition had ended almost a decade before, and output cranked up to pre-Prohibition levels in pretty short order.

Some distillers never fully recovered from prohibition, and the depression, plus spirits that required long aging were heavily affected by both earlier events, and W.W.II.
A few old companies threw in the towel, and sold out to the bigger distilling conglomerates by 1942.

The grains and other raw materials used by distillers were in short supply with rationing, and a large number of distillers shut down civilian production, to produce alcohol strictly for the war effort, which was used in medicines, and other strategic items.

Some smaller distillers survived during the war, that made products that were previously not in high demand, now found that they could find a thirsty market for their backstock. Legendre & Co. advertised quite heavily during the war years since their main brand could be made without years of aging.

1944:

 

[dhermann1]

I have one story from my late father in law that indicates how rare a commodity booze was in the ETO.
My father in law worked for a colonel in Paris who took care of the billeting needs of the high ranking brass. Sam was dispatched one night in 1944 to find a bottle of whisky for General Patton. He searched all over town, all night, and finally came up with a bottle of brandy. No indication whether the general expressed any gratitude. Sam was NOT a big fan of Patton after that.
Another great story was made into a movie in 1949. American title "Tight Little Island", British title "Whisky Galore". Hilarious movie based on an actual incident, when a ship full of whisky was wrecked off the coast of Scotland, and its contents were quickly absconded with by the islanders.

 

[John in Covina]

The production of Scotch was and is well regulated so while it's possible that the war years weren't the best it's more likely it was not produced much at all for that period.

While wine and related wine products like port will age in the bottle, an 8 year old Scotch in the bottle unopened for 10 years is still an 8 year old Scotch because the aging of Scotch and all whiskey is only done in the barrel not in the bottle.

 

[Derek Cavin]

While wine and related wine products like port will age in the bottle, an 8 year old Scotch in the bottle unopened for 10 years is still an 8 year old Scotch because the aging of Scotch and all whiskey is only done in the barrel not in the bottle.

Ah! Didn't know that.