18. Endless Hypocrisy
In 2011, NPR interviewed Historian Daniel Okrent, who wrote a book titled Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. They discussed the hypocrisy of how many of the advocates for Prohibition were two-faced liars, espousing anti-alcohol platforms while keeping a stash in their homes. “The wet-drys were people who had no problem perceiving themselves as moral in a public arena and less so in the private arena — or maybe they didn’t see it as a moral issue at all,” said Okrent. “So you had many, many who very openly appreciated their alcohol and continued to drink their alcohol but voted [otherwise].”
17. Birth of the Speakeasy
In recent history, as metropolitan centers have gentrified, they’ve attracted a crowd of young, nostalgic hipsters. Faux speakeasies have become vogue again. True speakeasies popped up in the ’20s as secret drinking establishments, some estimate half a dozen for every former legitimate bar. A speakeasy had no sign out front. They boiled the bar scene down to what mattered most, a place to drink without discrimination. Speakeasies became multicultural social clubs, at a time when segregation was alive and well.