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Whilst researching Hortings/Prohibition I came across a
brick of dehydrated grape juice used to surreptitiously
make wine in the days of Prohibition. The Vino Sano
Grape Brick (circa 1930) is thought to be one of the last
few in existence. It is on display at the Ontario Museum
of History & Art.

These ‘bricks’ of dehydrated grape juice became popular
when the production of wine was banned under
Prohibition, with the bricks able to be officially dissolved
in water to make grape juice, or unofficially fermented to
make wine.

Grape growers had to be able to maintain deniability that their product could be used to
produce alcohol. To get around this, winemakers ensured that their grape bricks carried a
warning not to leave it in water for too long in case it should begin fermenting and turn to
wine! The warning in fact also served as an instruction manual, specifically advising the
buyer “not to leave that jug in the cool cupboard for 21 days, or it would turn into wine”.

In August 1927, Vino Sano owner Karl Offer was prosecuted by anti-alcohol officials who
claimed “in most cases they (grape bricks) have been used to make wine.” However a jury
acquitted Offer, along with several other similar cases.

Apart from Whiskey, Bathtub
Gin was the drink of choice
during Prohibition. The
quality was very variable to
say the least. The best was
made from ethyl alcohol and
botanicals, the worst being
made from methyl alcohol
(makes you go blind) or with
added battery acid! I cannot
find any genuine bathtub gin
minis but Miniature Bottle
Library has two modern
‘joke’ bathtub gins shown.
The Frontier is from New Year’s Eve, 1989 and the Beefeater maybe a
decade older.

You can still buy so called bathtub gin in full size
bottles but as far as I am aware none of these are
produced in miniature. I’d be happy to be proved
wrong.

David Smith

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