In the Beginning

Harry and Al had a passion for pizza which culminated into them BUILDING an oven in Harry’s backyard. They were able to practice and train making pizza’s for 3 seasons before Prohibition Bistro came to life.  The story continues…..

and Legend has it that Prohibition Bistro started like this….

HOT as Cayenne and Smooth as Rum …the Prohibition Bistro story

Step right up folks! This is the place to be…the cat’s meow! We have the finest alcohol selection in town, the fa-mous and elect “Al” smuggled the lap of luxury here him-self! As the old man said, “I am like any other man, all I do is supply the demand.“

The cops have tried to strike us out with their coon-hounds and rifflery, they may be our worst adversary but they have not hindered us yet! Have a libation, or two or three… sit back, relax and fancy our story of how we out-lasted the 18th amendment!

Our Bistro was one of the first to open, family owned and operated since 1842. We were affiliated with Milwaukee, one of the most voluminous breweries in the Midwest Plaines. Our business grew vigorously and by 1917 and we were well known throughout these parts by many pioneers and ‘gents as the “moonshine stashers”.

One fine evening, as the Bistro was chock-full to the masses, music was booming, the tapstress was working briskly, and people were laughing having a gay old time. Unexpectedly, the old western swinging doors of the Bistro flit open as Al stood in the entree with barrels of “Harry’s miraculous elixir liquor”. The multitude roared with eager-ness and desire until every last individual was poured an overflowing flask.

Nearby, officers were strolling with their hounds down the boardwalk as they harkened to the joyous bash coming from the Bistro, they decided to wander in and observe what all the rough-and-tumble was about. As the men tread inside the building, folks were dispersing about, making it suspi-ciously evident as if they were hiding prohibited goods. The Bistro suddenly became overwhelmingly quiet.

“What have we here, are you by chance stashing any booze in this grog shop?” inquired the first officer with a smug expression on his face.

“Search ‘em out boys!!” the second officer command to his hounds as he disconnected them from their leads.

After an extensive probing search throughout the Bis-tro neither hound nor officer could discover any evidence of alcoholic substance. The officers left with dissatisfaction and a solemn expression.

“We bamboozled those menaces again folks!” Al Shouted with Glee. “

“Because of the cayenne pepper brimming in this tap-room, the hounds lost their sense of smell and weren’t capable to sniff out the moonshine! “ Harry declared with a sly manner in his voice.

The crowd then yanked the liquor out of the floor boards and men’s boots. The pleasure and shenanigans re-sumed again. This gimmick was practiced for years until alco-hol was authorized to be used again in the late 1900’s.

And that, my friends is how we “shined through” the 18th amendment!

By: Michaela Gellings