The illicit movement of whiskey, often referred to as “bootlegging,” has a storied history that spans across different countries and eras. Here are some of the more notable and creative methods used for the illegal transportation of whiskey:
Hollowed-Out Herds: Smugglers in some regions used hollowed-out spaces in livestock, such as hollowed-out logs disguised as feed or within the bodies of cattle, to hide whiskey. This method took advantage of the less scrutinized nature of livestock transport.
Dairy Disguise: During Prohibition, some milk delivery trucks were used to smuggle whiskey. The trucks would have hidden compartments or false bottoms to conceal the illicit cargo among the milk bottles.
Funeral Processions: Some bootleggers used fake funeral processions to transport whiskey. The caskets would be filled with bottles instead of bodies, as funeral processions were less likely to be stopped and searched by law enforcement.
Industrial Concealment: Whiskey was sometimes hidden in oil barrels or other industrial containers that were less likely to be inspected thoroughly by customs officials.
False bellies of women. who were made to look pregnant, but were actually carry bags of whiskey. Rarely would anyone question if someone were pregnant. While the method wouldn’t transport a lot of whiskey at one time, I wonder how many people noticed the number of pregnant ladies walking around town?
Herring barrels:While herring barrels were used to transport legal whiskey (although many would point to this practice as the downfall of Campbeltown whiskey), these barrels were also used to transport illicit whiskey as it was common to transport herring and other fishes in this fashion. The smell of these barrels may indeed reduce the amount of scrutiny they would have received from officials.
These methods highlight the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those involved in the illicit whiskey trade. Despite the risks, the demand for whiskey during periods of prohibition and heavy taxation led to a variety of creative smuggling techniques.