The Mob Museum Now Offers Underground Distillery Tour
The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, will offer daily tours in The Underground Distillery at 5 p.m.
The 30-minute tour ($12) involves sampling a variety of distilled spirits, where participants receive an in-depth explanation of the distillery equipment and distillation process and learn about Prohibition and its impact on distilled spirits.
In addition to learning about the historical origin of Prohibition and the drinking culture that existed before the 1920s, guests have the chance to take part in a spirit-tasting experience including in-house distilled moonshine, vodka and the Jamaica ginger infusion.
The Distillery Tours are designed to encourage visitors to develop an appreciation for the flavor of moonshine especially since The Underground's moonshine is as authentic as it can safely get. It is made in-house with 100 percent corn and bottled at 50 percentABV. Tour participants have the option of purchasing souvenir bottles afterwards to commemorate their experience.
In The Underground exhibition space, guests learn about Prohibition-era bootlegging and rum running. Prohibition shut down thousands of breweries and distilleries across America, but it could not eliminate the public's desire for alcohol. It simply forced the brewing and distilling of booze into the shadows, which contributed significantly to the rise and proliferation of the Mob in America.
Numerous artifacts found in the Speakeasy and Distillery add depth and context to the Prohibition experience. Items to be on display include a beaded chiffon dress, ca. 1926, which is an example of the new and bolder fashions that became popular during the Prohibition era due to the rise of flapper culture, as well as a five-gallon whiskey still, one of the smaller home stills used to make alcohol during Prohibition.
Visitors to The Underground at The Mob Museum can also visit its Speakeasy, which serves house-distilled moonshine, house-brewed craft beer, distilled vodka, Prohibition era-inspired cocktails, draft beer, wines by the glass and non-alcoholic drinks.
Visitors of the Museum may add-on a Distillery Tour to their admission at the box office.