Prohibition: 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.