History Detectives

A Wide Open Town

Clip | 2m 18s

In this excerpt from Bootlegger's notebook, cocktail expert David Wondrich describes New York in the 1890s as a “wide open town.” The culture of saloons led to many patrons drinking far too much alcohol and the saloon owners sometimes serving wood alcohol—a potentially lethal drink—to satisfy the demand.

Aired: 01/17/13

Rating: NR

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