By Terri Jo Ryan

Tribune-Herald staff writer

The nation’s 13-year-long social experiment banning alcohol, known as Prohibition, ended Dec. 5, 1933, with the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

The repeal of the 18th Amendment — which had gone into effect on Jan. 16, 1920, and had outlawed the manufacture, distribution and sale of spirits — restored the American right to a celebratory guzzle. While the Constitution still allowed for state and local levels of Prohibition, by 1966 there were no state laws banning alcohol in the U.S.

In Texas, the drys (as the anti-drinking advocates were known) in 1908 and 1911 tried for a statewide prohibition edict, but lost each referendum by a slim margin. Although the statewide dry campaigns had failed, the number of dry counties was increasing. The northern portion was primarily dry, with only areas that had relatively large concentrations of blacks, Hispanics and immigrants continuing to license the liquor industries.

Texas went dry about a year before the nation did, in 1919, and stayed dry — on the books, at least — until Lone Star voters ratified a repeal of the state dry law in 1935. Thereafter, the prohibition question reverted to the local level.

From the start of Prohibition, there were loopholes. People could make up to 200 gallons a year of “fruit juices” for personal use, according to the law. Sacramental wine also was allowed, and alcohol could be prescribed for medicinal purposes.

Robin Evans of Waco found a treasure trove of old recipes for homemade liquors when helping to clean out a trunk of a relative who died in 1988.

Evans, kin to the Swedish immigrant Forsgard family that arrived here shortly after the city’s founding more than 150 years ago, explained that lots of ethnic communities rebelled in their own way against Prohibition. People continued making spirits for home use, using materials easily available at the local grocer’s or pharmacy.

For example, her late cousin, Annie “Dump” Forsgard, who died at age 85 in 1988, had typed up a long list of potent potables for a group of “upstanding businessmen,” Evans said.

Dump was short for “Little Dumpling,” the darling of her family. One of the six children of Edward Ferdinant Forsgard (1870-1941) and Anna Marie Forsgard (1877-1963) of Waco, Annie was the older sister of Eddie C. Forsgard, who celebrated her 100th birthday last month.

“Dump was an excellent typist and one of the most beautiful women in the family. She had an outgoing personality with a bit of a minx added in,” Evans said.

Family lore says that there was a distillery in East Waco on Elm Street during the Prohibition years, she added. “When I asked other family members about the recipes, it was common knowledge that Dump had typed these up for the men who were involved in the making of the liquor,” Evans said.

Sources: Handbook of Texas Online, RepealDay.org, MSNBC.com

The Forsgard Family recipes for home brews

(as written by Annie Forsgard)

BLUE HEN WHISKEY

Two pounds of brown sugar

1 pound raisins

1 yeast cake

1 quart cornmeal

3 sliced lemons

1 gallon of water

Put this in a crock and let stand 30 days and you will have 100 percent whiskey.

CONVERSATION WHISKEY

2 1/2 pounds cornmeal

2 1/2 pounds of rye flour

5 gallons water

5 pounds of sugar

1 yeast cake, dissolved

Put cornmeal and rye flour in a pan and pour hot water over it enough to make dough. Then put cloth over it and let set overnight. Next morning crumble it in your hands and pour 5 gallons of water over it. Add 5 pounds of sugar and 1 cake of yeast dissolved in water. Put in demijohn (large glass bottle) and let it ferment. In four- to six-weeks’ time you will have whiskey. To color it, use a little burnt sugar.

KENTUCKY WHISKEY

5 pounds of sugar

1 gallon cornmeal

3 pounds dried peaches

3 pounds prunes

2 pounds raisins

2 1/2 cakes of yeast

5 gallons water

Caramel food coloring

Stew 5 pounds of sugar with 1 gallon of corn meal. In another pot, cook together 3 pounds dried peaches and 3 pounds of prunes, 2 pounds of raisins, 2 1/2 cakes yeast; while still hot, mix these two batches thoroughly together; jar it after adding 5 gallons of water, and a coloring of either caramel or burnt sugar may be added. Allow to stand for 5 days, strain and bottle tightly.

PRIVATE STOCK

10 quarts lukewarm water

16 cups of malt

1 pound hops

10 more quarts of water

2 pounds granulated sugar

1 pound brown sugar

1 1/2 cakes of yeast

Mix well in 10 quarts of lukewarm water a half peck (16 cups) of good malt and 1 pound of hops; let this stand for 4 hours and then drain in a keg, put 10 quarts more of water in the malt and hops and heat this, but do not boil it. Put all of this in the keg with the liquid and dissolve 2 pounds of granulated sugar and 1 pound of brown sugar in this; when lukewarm add 1 1/2 cake of good yeast, let it ferment for 4 days, then bung (the stopper in the hole of a cask through which it is filled and emptied) it up and in a week you will have an Extra Special to bottle.

OLD JOE’S LIQUOR

32 pints yellow cornmeal

1 gallon yellow whole corn

7 pounds raisins, finely chopped

10 pounds brown sugar

Juice of 10 lemons

10 gallons of water, boiling

2 cakes yeast

Put in a keg 2 pecks (32 pints) of yellow cornmeal, 1 gallon of yellow whole corn, 7 pounds of fine chopped raisins, 10 pounds of brown sugar, the juice of 10 lemons and 10 gallons of boiling water; mix well and when nearly cold add 2 cakes of good yeast. Keep this in a warm place for 4 days, stir it well once every 5 days and try our Old Joe.

KENTUCKY BRAND

16 pints yellow cornmeal

8 pounds raisins, finely chopped

10 pounds granulated sugar

12 gallons water, boiling

Is made by putting a peck (16 pints) of yellow cornmeal, 8 pounds of fine chopped raisins, 10 pounds of granulated sugar and 12 gallons of boiling water in a keg; mix this well, let it ferment for 3 weeks and you will have a good whisky.

LAGER BEER

5 ounces crushed hops

1 pint liquid extract of malt

4 ounces Karo syrup or molasses

1 ounce brown food coloring

2 1/2 pounds granulated sugar

Yeast cakes as needed

Cut up fine 5 ounces of crushed hops in a large bowl, mix well with 1 pint liquid extract of malt, 4 ounces of Karo Syrup or molasses and 1 ounce burnt sugar coloring; then work 2 1/2 pounds of granulated sugar in this mixture to make a stiff smooth paste. This will make 10 gallons of good Lager Beer. To make a gallon, 4 ounces of this paste must be thoroughly dissolved in a quart of boiling water, add 3 quarts of cold water, dip out a cupful, mash half a cake of good yeast in it and pour in your beer. Stand, covered with a cloth, in a warm place for two days, as it must have air — don’t bung it. Then strain, bottle, cork tight and in 3 days you can drink good Lager Beer. Age improves it.

BUNGALOW BEER

16 cups wheat bran

1 ounce hops

5 gallons water

32 ounces molasses

1 cake yeast

Is made by boiling half peck of good bran (wheat) and 1 ounce of hops in 5 gallons of water until they go to the bottom; strain and when nearly cold mix a quart of molasses into it, then put in a keg and add a cake of good yeast. When fermented, bung tight and in 4 days you will have an extra fine beer to bottle. Age improves it.

HOP BEER

6 ounces hops

10 quarts water

4 ounces bruised ginger

4 pounds granulated sugar

1 pint yeast

Boil six ounces of hops in 5 quarts of water about 3 hours, then strain; add 5 more quarts of boiling water and 4 ounces of bruised ginger, boil about 30 minutes, strain into the other liquid; dissolve 4 pounds of granulated sugar in this, add enough of water to make 3 gallons and when lukewarm add 1 pint of yeast; let it ferment a day and then bottle. Age improves it.

GOOD WHISKEY

1 gallon clean shelled corn

6 pounds granulated sugar

2 pounds ground ginger

3 gallons water, boiling

After putting 1 gallon of good clean shelled corn, 6 pounds of granulated sugar and 2 pounds of ground ginger in a keg, put in 3 gallons of boiling water. Keep this in a warm place for 2 weeks and then draw off good whisky. Age improves it.

RAISIN WINE

20 pounds Muscatel chopped raisins

15 pounds granulated sugar

5 gallons water, warm

5 ounces Cream of Tartar

Put in a keg 20 pounds of Muscatel chopped raisins, 15 pounds of granulated sugar, 5 gallons of soft warm water and mix 5 ounces of Cream of Tartar in a quart of boiling water; stir all this until sugar is dissolved. Put in a warm place to ferment for at least 20 days. Don’t bung it. A quart of grape juice to a gallon of water will improve wine, but it is not necessary. Burnt sugar is used for coloring. Don’t boil wine. Age improves it.

ROOT BEER

3 gallons water, boiling; then two more

Half pint of slightly burnt corn

4 ounces hops

Half ounce essence of sassafras

Sugar and molasses to taste

1 cake yeast

In 3 gallons of water boil about 1 hour a half pint of parched (burnt slightly) corn, 4 ounces of hops and a half ounce of essence of sassafras, strain hot; add soft water to make 5 gallons, enough sugar or molasses to taste and when nearly cold a cake of good yeast. Keep in a cool place for 2 days and it is ready to drink.

CHAMPAGNE

2 sliced lemons

1 1/2 pounds granulated sugar

1 ounce ginger root

1 ounce Cream of Tartar

10 quarts water, boiling

Half pint yeast

Over 2 sliced lemons, 1 1/2 pounds of granulated sugar, 1 ounce race ginger (ginger root, not powdered stuff), a tablespoonful of powdered tartaric acid, pour 10 quarts of boiling water. When nearly cold add a half pint of yeast. After keeping in a warm place for a day, bottle, wire the corks and in a week it will taste, bubble and sparkle like real champagne.

CIDER WITHOUT APPLES

1 quart water, boiling

1 ounce ground ginger

10 gallons water, warm

10 pounds brown sugar

5 ounces Cream of Tartar

2 cakes yeast

Boil in a quart of water 1 ounce of ground ginger for 30 minutes. In 10 gallons of soft water, dissolve 10 pounds of brown sugar, mix to this 5 ounces of powdered tartaric acid, add the boiled ginger, then 2 cakes of good yeast, let it ferment a day, bottle and it will be good to use in a day. Age improves it.

DANDELION WINE

1 gallon water, boiling

1 gallon fresh dandelion blossoms

Peel of two lemons

4 pounds granulated sugar

Is made by pouring a gallon of boiling water over a gallon of fresh blossoms, add the juice and chopped peel of 2 lemons, let it stand 2 days and then strain and dissolve 4 pounds of granulated sugar in this and let it ferment.

BLACKBERRY WINE

1 gallon blackberries, crushed

1 quart water, boiling

1 gallon water, warm

2 pounds granulated sugar

Crush a gallon of good ripe blackberries, stir a quart of boiling water in this and let it stand for a day — stirring it different times is good — then press and put in a gallon of warm water on the berries, again mix well and press them again, then dissolve 2 pounds of granulated sugar to each gallon of juice and let it ferment.

A GOOD KICKER

1 gallon shelled white corn

15 1/2 gallons apple cider

Is made by putting a gallon of clean shelled white corn in a keg of good apple cider; let it ferment and the Kick is better than the products of Kentucky distilleries.

ELDER BLOSSOM WINE

4 gallons water, boiling

1 gallon fresh elder blossoms

Juice of 2 lemons, with chopped peel

Juice of 2 oranges, with chopped peel

12 pounds granulated sugar

1 cake yeast

Is made by pouring 4 gallons of boiling water over a gallon of fresh blossoms; add the juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges and the chopped peel. When nearly cold dissolve in 12 pounds of granulated sugar in this, add a cake of good yeast and let it stand for 6 days, then strain, put it in a keg and let it ferment. The best drink in the world to break up a cold.

RHUBARB WINE

10 pounds rhubarb

Juice of 1 lemon, with chopped peel

10 quarts water, boiling

7 1/2 pounds granulated sugar

Is made by crushing 10 pounds of rhubarb; add the juice and chopped peel of a lemon and 10 quarts of boiling water; let this work for a week, stir well once each day, then strain and put this in a keg, add and mix well 3 pounds of granulated sugar to each gallon of juice and let it ferment.

Source: Robin Evans, Waco