Reflection #2: The Whiskey Wars That Left Brooklyn in Ruins

I was fascinated by the assigned reading on the Whiskey Wars of Brooklyn. One of my initial thoughts while reading about the Whiskey Wars was that in some ways it reminded me of the Boston Tea Party from 1773. Both were acts of rebellion in protest of high taxes on specific items. I learned that Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn was heavily involved with creating illegal distilleries. The article mentioned that “legitimate” distilleries would close down and be replaced by “vinegar” factories. This leads me to wonder if these “vinegar” factories somehow influenced the naming of the neighborhood Vinegar Hill. I like that at the end of the article the author concludes with a small paragraph on modern day Vinegar Hill. The arrival of the Kings County Distillery is like a tip of the hat to the rebellious, rich history of late-19th century Vinegar Hill.

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