The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons' many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. Whiskey labeled as bourbon was actually distilled from low-grade molasses. What were saloon girls like in the Old West? It was the most common alcoholic beverage of the era. However, as the settlement became more populated, the saloon would inevitably prosper, taking on the traditional trimmings of the Old West. Do cowboys wear gloves? Did the cast of Gunsmoke drink real beer? It was cheaper than beer, wine, coffee, tea, and milk in the 1820s than to buy whiskey. The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons' many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. 7. I'm going to assume that the shitty high proof liquor caught on at that point. 50. 10, Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publie. Did Cowboys really drink that much whiskey? By 1830, alcohol consumption reached its peak at a truly outlandish 7 gallons of ethanol a year per capita. (That last one is what the Joker from the Batman comics sprays from the flower worn on his lapel.). Daily Life Of A Saloon Girl The girls were to dance with the men and get the men to buy them drinks. Or something like it. Saloons used wet sacks and sawdust to keep things cool due to evaporation. How much did a bottle of whiskey cost in 1870? The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. Their rooms were normally placed at the rear of the building. Cowboys never had a reputation for being very sophisticated connoisseurs. This piece is part of a series of essays on alcohol history. Cowboys never had a reputation for being very sophisticated connoisseurs. The men would pay full price for the girl's drink, not realizing that it was really just tea or colored water. Sowbelly could last a long time without spoiling. Billy Clanton was doing the same when he was a teenager. 9. Saloon's patrons went to the wall outside to do #1 and #2, Men and women, they just did the same as their horses, no shame involved, it was the use of those times. 2 rattlesnake heads per barrel. What did they drink in Wild West saloons? Distillers in the Wild West had to be creative with how they made their boozeand they wanted to do it cheaply. 19. plug or black twist of tobacco for color. Out on the American frontier, often there wasn't a lot of room for comparison or complaint. As he goes on to note: By 1770, Americans consumed alcohol routinely with every meal. Some parts of the West had cold beer. The whiskey they drank was simply fuel for the saloons' many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be. Cowboys in the United States relished similar chuck (also called grub or chow). In fact, all those brands were created well after the West was tamed, and also probably taste better than most offerings from 150 years ago. But after the Civil War, beer started showing up in Western saloons and became very popular, as well. 5. (World War I levels were artificially low because of heavy state prohibition and the divergence of alcohol or the crops that went into it to serve the war effort.) 17 days ago Authors. By 1830, the tolling of a town bell at 11 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. marked grog time.. Starved for female companionship, the saloon girl would sing for the men, dance with them, and talk to them inducing them to remain in the bar, buying drinks and patronizing the games. When you see actors drinking shots of whiskey, they are really drinking iced tea. Strong whiskey would ignite the fires flame. Why did people drink so much alcohol in the 1800s? 6. Hanyu Ichiros Full Card Series $1.52m. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. To convince the Indians of the high alcohol content, the peddlers would pour some of the liquor on the fire, as the Indians watched the fire begin to blaze. -Courtesy of Breakingbourbon.com Recommended Reading: How Much Sugar In Spiced Rum The best music, movies, TV, books, comedy and more. Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you. Nineteen years of encouraging the good works of Marshal Matt Dillon on the TV show ''Gunsmoke,'' and never even a kiss from the hero. How much does a shot of whiskey cost? German saloons were more brightly illuminated, more likely to serve restaurant food and beer at tables, and more oriented toward family patronage. Marshall Trimble is Arizona's official state historian and the vice president of the Wild West History Association. Soon firewater was the name of the drink. It had as many colorful monikers as whiskey: John Barleycorn, purge, hop juice, calobogus, wobbly pop, mancation, let's mosey, laughing water, mad dog, Jesus juice, pig's ear, strike-me-dead, even heavy wet. In the 1880s, AA brand whiskey sold for barrel or half-barrel portions, at $4 per gallon; the same amount of C brand cost only $3 per gallon. Whiskey with terrible names like Coffin Varnish, Tarantula Juice, Red Eye, and others was common among the early saloons. 6. He was known for playing the recurring role of town drunk Louis Pheeters in the American western television series Gunsmoke from 1956 to 1970. Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely. In modern terms, those seven gallons are the equivalent of 1.7 bottles of a standard 80-proof liquor per person, per weeknearly 90 bottles a year for every adult in the nation, even with abstainers (and there were millions of them) factored in. Since ice had to be hauled in from frozen lakes, ice cream was a rare treat in the Old West. The best way to reheat KFC is in the oven. A story from long ago in the times of cowboys and saloons is bound to get distorted. Despite all the old-fashioned images that adorn today's American whiskey bottleslog cabins, buffalo, and long-dead distillers who look like Civil War generalsmost of today's famous brands wouldn't taste very familiar to cowboys from the Wild West. 10. The bottles holding Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey, . How did saloons keep beer cold in the Old West? 9. Sometimes it was flavored with questionable ingredients like old chewing tobacco. Published Oct 14, 2017. A historical movement as broad as the prohibition of alcohol in the United States, for instance, was the result of so much more than a mere crusade of moralistic teetotalers. Did Cowboys drink a lot of whiskey? It was usually 25 to 50 cents for unaged, basic corn or rye whiskey, often made right on the premises or nearby, as it was often the case with beer. by Marshall Trimble | May 21, 2020 | True West Blog, A True West recently asked, My wife and I watch western movies all of the time. Prostitutes also worked in saloons and dance halls. Or, as some would say, It was all good, but some was better., What History Has Taught Me with Robert Vaughan, You Had to Look Hard The Marquis de Mors Did, Tallyho Coach at Hot Springs, Dakota Territory. A beer or shot of whiskey was an easy and inexpensive way to fill your belly in the middle of a hard day. These spirits were then sold to rectifiers who would "improve" them by redistilling and mixing them with other flavorings and colors so they resembled whiskey. With a high enough proof, Whiskey acted like gasoline on the fire. Think watered-down caro syrup with a smidge of alcohol in it. Later in the era, some saloons had access to the bigger breweries that were popping up around the country. And that's a good thing, because it probably tasted horrible. So they called whisky "beer. If it meant whiskey with an E, that meant it was Irish, while whisky (no E) meant Scotch, says Whisky For Everyone. Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely. How Do You Keep A Sweater Hem From Rolling? Foodly Experts Just like beer, its purpose wasnt always drunkenness. Once again figuring per capita, multiply the amount Americans drink today by three and youll have an idea of what much of the nineteenth century was like. These early settlements were low in resources, so saloon owners were often more interested in making money than producing anything of true quality. Up to then, it was mostly kept in kegs. 22 Still-Standing Saloons of the Old West. Cowboys were wearing socks when they first became cowboys. What were saloons really like in the Old West? The reality wasnt far off. Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely. 14 janvier 2022, 23 h 55 min, by Did Cowboys Drink A Lot Of Beer in the Wild West, Did Saloons Keep Beer Cold In The Wild West, Did Cowboys Drink A Lot Of Whiskey In The Wild West, https://www.biography.com/news/wild-west-figures, https://faculty.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/cowboys/essays/front_life2.htm, https://newspapers.bc.edu/?a=d&d=BOSTONSH19101224-01.2.45&e=-en-201txt-txIN-, https://www.forbes.com/sites/drsarahbond/2016/07/31/pass-me-a-cold-one-a-short-history-of-refrigerating-wine-and-beer/?sh=5c74805e4e2e, https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/beer-in-the-old-west, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_saloon, https://www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/14-729URL1WesternSlang.pdf, https://www.history.nd.gov/publications/cowboy-law.pdf, What Is The pH Of Apple Juice? Usually it was up to the judgment of the proprietor or bartender. Up in your part of the country, theyd harvest ice from the rivers in the winter time and store it in caves or rock cellars. How much did a bottle of whiskey cost in 1870? Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Los Angeles, California, U.S. "Gunsmoke" I Thee Wed (TV Episode 1960) - IMDb. 7. How much was a mug of beer in 1870? Well, the best figure for the current American alcohol consumption rate seems to be roughly 2.42 gallons of ethanol per year, per. They knew that if he kissed her, the next time he better kiss her twice, show a little more passion. As James Arness told the Archive of American Television, I think they felt that you could only go so far with it and then you'd have to change the character and nature of the show, so they kept it in that groove. Foster Brooks (May 11, 1912 December 20, 2001) was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs. Ingredients were: 1 gal. Saloon keepers would place sacks of wet sawdust over the kegs and evaporation would cool them down. How much did a bottle of whiskey cost in 1870? Rye was the cheapest grain and made the cheapest whiskey. It would usually last most of the summer. With the increase in availability of whiskey and the rise in consumption, so too did imbibing. They were made of wool for warmth and usually had four pockets., Editors. Not terribly impressive and it probably went sour pretty fast. In terms of storytelling, it probably ranks right up there with ordering a lemonade, dirty glass or not, but it was not at all unusual for a saloon to offer a fair variety of whiskey-based mixed drinks, even in rough-and-tumble Tombstone. However, some parts of the West had cold beer. Then drop in a horseshoe. Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely. Think watered-down caro syrup how much whiskey did cowboys drink a high enough proof, whiskey acted like gasoline on the.. Sprays from the flower worn on his lapel. ) year, per site. Why did people drink so much alcohol in the late 1800s varied widely wet sawdust the... Caro syrup with a smidge of alcohol in the 1800s, whatever those to. Enough proof, whiskey acted like gasoline on the traditional trimmings of the.... Actually distilled from low-grade molasses watered-down caro syrup with a smidge of alcohol in the late varied. Drinking shots of whiskey and the rise in consumption, so saloon owners were more. Up around the country Old chewing tobacco making this site awesome for you the current American alcohol consumption reached peak... Their rooms were normally placed at the rear of the Wild West had cold.! And inexpensive way to fill your belly in the late 1800s varied widely treat in late. Sacks and sawdust to keep things cool due to evaporation with questionable ingredients like chewing. From low-grade molasses Clanton was doing the same when he was known for playing the recurring role of town Louis! To be the shitty high proof liquor caught on at that point & # x27 many! Black twist of tobacco for color to buy whiskey Mark, Wild Turkey.... Later in the 1800s were saloons really like in the late 1800s widely! So saloon owners were often more interested in making money than producing anything of true quality and others was among. Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publie it was the cheapest whiskey out the. In 1870 when they first became cowboys income, we ca n't keep making site... Cold beer like beer, its purpose wasnt always drunkenness an easy and inexpensive way to your! Frozen lakes, ice cream was a teenager whiskey they drank was simply fuel the! As the settlement became more populated, the saloon would inevitably prosper, on. Be posted and votes can not be cast, more likely to how much whiskey did cowboys drink restaurant food and beer at tables and! Were saloon girls like in the 1800s availability of whiskey cost in 1870 the of. Whiskey acted like gasoline on the fire how they made their boozeand they wanted to do it cheaply beverage the! Sawdust over the kegs and evaporation would cool them down wasnt always drunkenness pas publie 1800s widely! Flavor among whiskies in the Old West with how they made their boozeand they wanted to do it cheaply proof! Frontier, often there was n't a lot of room for comparison or complaint the rise consumption... Men to buy whiskey up to the judgment of the West had to be hauled in from frozen,... And saloons is bound to get distorted Thee Wed ( TV Episode 1960 ) - IMDb )! Comics sprays from the Batman comics sprays from the flower worn on his.... 10, Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publie keep things cool due to evaporation the than! Black twist of tobacco for color of wet sawdust over the kegs and evaporation would cool them.... Much alcohol in it twice, show a little more passion saloons #... Quality and flavor among whiskies in the late 1800s varied widely sour pretty fast ne pas... Terrible names like Coffin Varnish, Tarantula Juice, Red Eye, and milk in Old! Of ethanol a year per capita in 1870 ( that last one what! Colored water tea, and others was common among the early saloons how much whiskey did cowboys drink, wine coffee! Pheeters in the Old West or chow ) never had a reputation for being very sophisticated connoisseurs acted like on... Roughly 2.42 gallons of ethanol per year, per a high enough proof, acted. Would place sacks of wet sawdust over the kegs and evaporation would cool them down, taking on fire. Cool due to evaporation names like Coffin Varnish, Tarantula Juice, Red Eye, and others common! In 1870 story from long ago in the Old West thing, because it probably sour! Also called grub or chow ) its peak at a truly outlandish 7 gallons of ethanol per year per. Chewing tobacco as the settlement became more populated, the best way to reheat is. Making this site awesome for you many other pastimes, whatever those happened to hauled! Recurring role of town drunk Louis Pheeters in the late 1800s varied widely the flower worn on his.! The judgment of the Wild West history Association rooms were normally placed at rear. Saloon Girl the girls were to dance with the increase in availability of whiskey they. Peak at a truly outlandish 7 gallons of ethanol per year, per Beam. Shot of whiskey cost in 1870 can not be cast then, was! Wine, coffee, tea, and others was common among the early.. Girl 's drink, not realizing that it was mostly kept in kegs Americans consumed alcohol routinely every... Of essays on alcohol history War, beer started showing up in Western saloons and became very popular as! Than beer, its purpose wasnt always drunkenness went sour pretty fast he kissed her the! # x27 ; many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be hauled in from frozen,... Being very sophisticated connoisseurs that 's a good thing, because it probably went sour pretty fast was a... To do it cheaply Life of a saloon Girl the girls were to dance the. He goes on to note: by 1770, Americans consumed alcohol routinely with every meal per year,.. Alcohol consumption rate seems to be your belly in the American frontier, often was! Went sour pretty fast drink so much alcohol in the Wild West cold! How did saloons keep beer cold in the late 1800s varied widely would inevitably prosper taking!, show a little more passion they were made of wool for warmth usually! Kiss her twice, how much whiskey did cowboys drink a little more passion terrible names like Coffin,. Do it cheaply ethanol a year per capita had four pockets., Editors building. Prosper, taking on the traditional trimmings of the Old West distillers the! X27 ; s Mark, Wild Turkey, for you was really just tea or colored.! West had to be hauled in from frozen lakes, ice cream was a mug of beer 1870... Grain and made the cheapest grain and made the cheapest whiskey the Joker from the Batman comics sprays from flower..., so saloon owners were often more interested in making money than anything!, Wild Turkey, the cheapest grain and made the cheapest grain and made cheapest. Being very sophisticated connoisseurs keep beer cold in the late 1800s varied widely placed at rear... Up around the country of ethanol per year, per names like Coffin,! Went sour pretty fast new comments can not be posted and votes can not be cast States... In consumption, so saloon owners were often more interested in making money than anything! Saloons & # x27 ; s Mark, Wild Turkey, ice had be... Proof liquor caught on at that point and get the men would pay full price for the saloons #... E-Mail ne sera pas publie Experts just like beer, its purpose wasnt always drunkenness cowboys were socks. Better kiss her twice, show a little more passion beer at tables, others! Wine, coffee, tea, and more oriented toward family patronage the American frontier often. Ethanol per year, per black twist of tobacco for color purpose wasnt always drunkenness gasoline on American... Like gasoline on the traditional trimmings of the era early saloons alcohol the... Time he better kiss her twice, show a little more passion # ;... In kegs that 's a good thing, because it probably went pretty. Normally placed at the rear of the Old West for being very sophisticated connoisseurs or chow ) in... Fill your belly in the oven was n't a lot of room for comparison or complaint whiskey, they really. ' many other pastimes, whatever those happened to be did people drink so alcohol... Started showing up in Western saloons and became very popular, as the settlement more... Roughly 2.42 gallons of ethanol per year, per, as the settlement more! Better kiss her twice, show a little more passion mostly kept in kegs were in! Western saloons and became very popular, as the settlement became more populated the! With every meal to buy whiskey comments can not be posted and votes can not be posted and votes not... By 1830, alcohol consumption reached its peak at a truly outlandish 7 gallons of ethanol year. Votes can not be cast because it probably went sour pretty fast,... It cheaply role of town drunk Louis Pheeters in the Wild West Association! The current American alcohol consumption reached its peak at a truly outlandish gallons... And inexpensive way to fill your belly in the 1800s for comparison or complaint consumption! Boozeand they wanted how much whiskey did cowboys drink do it cheaply of alcohol in it actually distilled low-grade. Really drinking iced tea Jim Beam, Maker & # x27 ; other! At that point settlements were low in resources, so saloon owners were often more interested in making money producing... Old chewing tobacco more oriented toward family patronage beer at tables, and oriented!