5. Vinegar Hill housed a number of illegal distilleries that produced potheen
In the mid-19th century, Vinegar Hill was home to illegal distilleries that produced potheen, derived from the Irish word “poitÃn” meaning little pot. Potheen was a type of “Irish moonshine” distilled in a small pot, often made illicitly using potatoes. The alcohol percentage is usually very high, between 40 to 90% ABV. John Devlin, John Whiteford, “Ginger” Farrell, and “Ned” Brady were the leaders of the potheen business in Vinegar Hill, operating under the radar to avoid having their products confiscated and businesses shut down.
At the time, alcohol was legal but was heavily taxed at about 20 cents per 100-proof gallon. Alcohol was often traded illegally, making the neighborhood significantly more prosperous. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (the precursor to the IRS) was created in 1862 amidst the Civil War and sent in Army veterans to Vinegar Hill to raid the distilleries. In 1869, the Army destroyed stills that could produce 250 barrels of alcohol each day (about $5,000 in taxes, or over $100,000 today), resulting in the “Whiskey Wars.” According to a Smithsonian article, “It looked like a storm had swept through the industrial Brooklyn neighborhood of Vinegar Hill. Whiskey ran through the cobblestones and pooled near the Navy Yard gate. Alleys were strewn with rocks, coal and scraps of wood. Molasses stuck to the streets and the air reeked of sour mash. The remains of some 20 illegal distilleries lay in ruin for all to see, abandoned in mid-production like an unfinished feast.”