Flash back to the Roaring Twenties, when America was in the midst of the Prohibition: Booze was banned, stealthy speakeasies adorned Tacoma, and the Paramount Theatre sat in Tacoma’s Proctor District, which last year became Peaks and Pints bottle shop, taproom and eatery. Prohibition, the law that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol in the United States, was ratified as the 18th amendment on Jan. 16, 1919, and went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. In other words, Monday 97 years ago was a very sad day.
And yet, some good things came out of Prohibition. Most notably, the theme for this week’s Peaks and Pints SudsPop night with Pacific Brewing & Malting Co., the Tacoma brewery that didn’t survive Prohibition but was reestablished in late 2014 about a mile away from its original location in downtown Tacoma. From 6-9 p.m., Peaks and Pints will transform into a ’20s speakeasy complete with Prohibition-era music curated by Andy Kenser, sales director of Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. As with previous Monday SudsPop music and beer theme nights, there will be a fun contest — building card houses this week.
What’s a Prohibition-themed night without drinks? In addition to Peaks and Pints 640-plus craft beers and ciders, including Pacific Brewing’s Prairie Line IPA on tap, there will be bathtub gin. Drop the bat, Al Capone. Our bathtub gin is actually Pacific Brewing & Malting Co.’s 1897 Pale Lager through a Randall loaded with juniper berries, which is tastier than the notoriously dry and foul tasting bathtub gin of the Prohibition years.
So don your Twenties garb, drink delicious Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. craft beers, and enjoy the hell out of yourself.
SUDSPOP WITH PACIFIC BREWING & MALTING CO., 6 p.m., every Monday in January, Peaks and Pints, 3816 N. 26th St., Basecamp Proctor, Tacoma, https://peaksandpints.com/, no cover
The following are the remaining Pacific Brewing & Malting Co.’s SudsPop musical theme nights and corresponding contests:
Monday, Jan. 16, 6 p.m.: Prohibition Begins with 7 p.m. house of cards contest;
Monday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m.: Love The 1980s with 7 p.m. ’80s dance contest;
Monday, Jan. 30, 6 p.m.: Fight The Power with 7 p.m. mystery beer flight contest.
