Moonshine on the Rocks

In Jackson hotels and restaurants, a stinger or a Scotch on the rocks was served with a straw. Dry-martini buffs gagged on concoctions as wet--and sometimes as muddy--as Old Man River. The patron who asked for a screwdriver was more apt to get a tool than a tipple. Thus, with more complaint than celebration, Prohibition receded from the last officially dry state in the Union. Since Mississippi's ban on liquor was dropped on July 1, counties with two-thirds of the state's population have voted wet.

Bars, which sometimes ran dry during the first few days after repeal, anticipate a long campaign to lure Mississippians away from their home and club drinking habits. Drinkers, in turn, saw a slight rise in prices as retailers--more than a third of them ex-bootleggers--boosted their markups.

Bootleggers who stuck to bootlegging soon discovered that state and local governments no longer condone--or tax --smuggled booze. For the first time, convictions are being vigorously sought and obtained against purveyors of illegal liquor, and moonshine--which many Southerners prefer to the aged, taxed variety--is no longer so easy to buy. Biggest gainer is the state government, which expects to see alcohol revenues' jump from $4,500,000 a year to more than $10 million.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.