A Tale of Two Prohibition-Era Whiskies

Our Fine Wine & Spirits department is fortunate to offer an incredible range of bottles in our auctions, but it’s not every day that two Prohibition-era whiskies show up at our front door. Included in our first auction of 2026 of Fine Spirits, these two treasures have inspired us to take a deeper look at the Prohibition era and the effects it had on the industry. 

AMERICA SHUTS IT DOWN

Enacted by the United States on January 17, 1920, the Volstead Act forbade the production of beverages that contained more than half a percent (0.5%) alcohol. This effectively shuttered breweries, distilleries and wineries overnight and forced drinkers stateside into underground clubs known as speakeasies. It also created a massive illegal business opportunity.

Smugglers, mobsters and bootleggers “imported” genuine whisky and a few other spirits to service wealthy clients. Among the most sought-after contraband was whiskey from the large Canadian distillery Gooderham and Worts, a fact that brought the infamous gangster Al Capone to Toronto. Capone, who smuggled the whiskey into Chicago and the U.S. Northeast, was such a frequent visitor that he often stayed at the Winchester Hotel in Cabbagetown while doing business with the distillery.

Lesser establishments served homemade hooch known as ‘moonshine’ or ‘bathtub gin,’ or spirits distilled from industrial alcohol. These raw, unrefined spirits were harsh and barely palatable, inspiring makers to attempt to mimic the taste of higher quality spirits by mixing in a few dubious additives: ‘bourbon’ was made by steeping moonshine with rotten meat or dead rats, ‘gin’ was made by adding juniper oil to raw alcohol, and smoky ‘Scotch’ by adding creosote, a wood tar-based antiseptic. Gin proved to be the most popular spirit of the period – easy to make, cheap and no rats required – which is why many Prohibition-era cocktails are gin-based.

Whether flavoured or raw, these rough spirits were often mixed with juice, cream or other mixers to camouflage their less-than-ideal taste. This gave rise to drinks such as the Alexander, designed to de-emphasize the taste of alcohol, unlike the original spirit-forward cocktails of the previous era.

PROHIBITION IN CANADA

Canadian Prohibition took its own path. The temperance movement had picked up steam in the late 19th century, promoting the belief that alcohol was to blame for many of society’s problems. In 1878, the Canada Temperance Act (Scott Act) granted local governments the power to block the sale of alcohol as they saw fit. Prince Edward Island was the first province to go dry, which it did in 1901. In the First World War, all Canadian provinces were placed under Prohibition, along with Yukon and Newfoundland, even though they had not yet joined Confederation. At the time, teetotalling was understood as an act of patriotism—a shared social sacrifice in aid of the war effort.

Despite these various bans, liquor could still be legally produced in Canada, if it was destined for export. As such, Canada became an important source of alcohol for the United States during its own Prohibition era. Vast quantities of spirits found their way across the 49th parallel through smuggling networks. Vancouver and the Great Lakes made perfect avenues for vessels leaving Canadian ports under the guise of carrying materials like coal and other provisions to deliver their contraband to American markets. The Canadian whisky ship named The City of Dresden was one such vessel, sunk in a violent Lake Erie storm in 1922 while carrying 1,000 cases and 500 kegs of Corby’s Old Crow whisky worth $50,000 (almost a million dollars in today’s currency). The Dresden’s loud distress call summoned local residents who began gathering on shore, some to help land the crew’s lifeboat, others to ‘rescue’ the cargo. Undoubtedly, there were many who disliked adhering to the ‘dry’ life and welcomed the opportunity to scoop up The Dresden’s spoils. (1)

As unevenly as it began, prohibition was repealed in Canada on a province by province basis in the 1920s. Ontario, for example, passed the Liquor Control Act in 1927, establishing a system of regulated sales rather than an outright ban. By the end of the decade , most regions had abandoned prohibition in favour of provincial liquor boards. These organizations still bear the imprint of the Prohibition period, operating within tightly controlled systems administered by government agencies. PEI, the first to enact prohibition and the last to let it go, held out until 1948.

PROHIBITION-ERA BOTTLES IN OUR MARCH 2026 AUCTION

Corby’s Special Selected Canadian Whisky 1910

Lot 75 comes from Henry Corby’s Distillery pre-prohibition era. Distilling began in 1859 along the Moira River in the eastern township of Hastings, Ontario. The distillery flourished from 1881 under Henry Jr., eventually employing 600 people during its peak. Corby’s produced alcohol for Canada and worked closely with distilling operations in British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, and Windsor by the early 20th century. This Special Selected blend was often aged longer than contemporary competitors to ensure a smooth, refined taste, and features a robust, slightly sweet, and aromatic character with a significant rye influence, designed for premium sipping.

Gooderham & Worts Four Roses Canadian Whisky 1929

Lot 103 hails from Gooderham & Worts during the height of the American prohibition. Originally founded in 1832 as a Toronto-based milling and distillery operation, it was to become the world’s largest and Canada’s most modern distillery by the end of the 19th century. It was Gooderham who patented the “Riley still”, the very first rudimentary form of double column distillation. Made from smooth large stones and stacked in a wooden column, Gooderham unknowingly changed distillation practices worldwide. With the First World War shifting the distillery’s production to acetone and ketone for the war effort, and then Prohibition preventing the sale of alcohol, it is no surprise that the Gooderham & Worts distillery was sold in 1923. Purchased by Harry Hatch of the Corby distillery, Hatch quickly became the most infamous Canadian smuggler during Prohibition. From this turbulent and profitable era, lot 103’s name is an homage to the American South’s whiskey-making heritage, commemorating a time when that region was unable to produce it.

ABOUT THE AUCTION

Held online from February 23-March 3, our first Fine Spirits auction of 2026 highlights the global artistry of distilled liquids, with a strong emphasis on tradition and craftsmanship. This auction includes a wide selection of collectible Macallans and Hine Cognac, sought-after Cuban Rums, Japanese whiskey, Bourbon, assorted Single Malt Scotch whiskies and a pre-Prohibition 1910 Corby’s whisky.

We invite you to browse the auction here.

Please contact us for more information.

(1) https://millerandmillerauctions.squarespace.com/stories/2024/4/4/city-of-dresden-shipwreck