In the 1920s, Prohibition brought legal distillation to a screeching halt. Make no mistake—it still survived, illicitly, in some areas. But by the time the “Noble Experiment” ended in 1933, most family-run distilleries were long shuttered, and generations of spirits-making knowledge had been lost. Large conglomerates, most headquartered outside of the U.S., dominated the booze biz.
Despite these headwinds, a handful of intrepid pioneers sought to make quality small-batch spirits. In the 1980s—a time when white wine spritzers were the aperitif of choice—U.S. legislators began to adjust a patchwork of laws that would empower small distilleries. This created the first trickles of what would eventually become the American craft spirits movement. This is their story, as told (mostly) by those who experienced it firsthand.
Saint Jörg/St. George
The post-Prohibition era of craft distilling begins with Jörg Rupf, who left behind a legal career in Germany to become a distiller in California, notably under the St. George brand. Rupf, now retired, spoke to us from his home in San Pancho, Mexico.
It wasn’t really a well thought out business concept. It was a personal decision. I was an attorney
