The Frazier History Museum and Kentucky Distillers’ Association has officially opened the “Spirits of the Bluegrass: Prohibition and Kentucky” exhibit.
Prohibition and Kentucky traces the rise of the temperance movement from 1920 through the repeal of the 18th Amendment in 1933, taking an in-depth look at America’s “Noble Experiment.” By examining the Volstead Act and its effect on crime, politics, and culture, Spirits of the Bluegrass brings prohibition to life. It shows how millions of otherwise law-abiding Americans chose to violate the national alcohol ban and details the vast, often violent, criminal industry that quickly sprang up to quench the country’s thirst for illegal booze.
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The Spirits of the Bluegrass: Prohibition and Kentucky exhibit runs October 29th, 2015 through 2016. The Frazier History Museum is located at 829 West Main Street on Louisville’s downtown “Museum Row.” The museum is open Monday-Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday, noon to 5:00pm. For more information visit FrazierMuseum.org.
Chris Morris – Brown Forman Master Distiller Opens Prohibition Exhibit to the Public
Prohibition, the so called Noble Experiment, nearly destroyed one of Kentucky’s most famous industries, Kentucky Bourbon. In 1920, Prohibition closed 210 distilleries in Kentucky, 89 of them having headquarters and facilities here along Louisville’s Main Street earning it the nickname, Whiskey Row. It also left the Scotch Whiskey industry unchallenged in the world market. With the repeal of Prohibition the distillers of Kentucky returned to the tradition that they had created and became one of the last bastions of the distillers’ art in America. And as a result of Kentucky Bourbons tenacity and our current success, a new generation of distilleries is now flourishing across America. So today we revisit the Prohibition era to never forget and to learn from the mistakes of the past.
~ Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller
