Episode 085 - History’s Greatest Hangover: When America Tried to Stop Drinking episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 24, 2025 · 40 MIN

Episode 085 - History’s Greatest Hangover: When America Tried to Stop Drinking

from Sorta Sophisticated · host Pete + Amanda

Highlights of this episode include uncorking the unbelievable story of how America tried to ban alcohol…and somehow wound up drinking even more. From the loophole-riddled Volstead Act that no one actually understood, to the rise of speakeasies, jazz-fueled rebellion, and bootleggers who accidentally invented NASCAR, we’re tracing how a nationwide “noble experiment” turned into history’s greatest hangover. And because Prohibition isn’t just a relic - it echoes through today’s debates on marijuana, gambling, vaping, and whatever vice we try to outlaw next. Chapters (00:00:04) - Sophisticated, Dear Listeners(00:00:47) - Krampus Christmas Card(00:02:26) - Prohibition: The 80s(00:03:59) - Prohibition: The Greatest Hangover(00:05:23) - Frowzy: What Is It?(00:07:29) - Wife Started The Women's Christian Temperance Union(00:10:10) - The Anti-Saloon League: A Women's Group(00:12:52) - Why Prohibition Was A Wrecking Ball(00:16:01) - Prohibition: The Women's Movement(00:17:50) - How To Get Into A Speakeasy(00:19:22) - PeeCee On Prohibition(00:21:48) - milo on prohibition and moonshine(00:23:57) - PeeCee On The 80s(00:25:42) - Prohibition: The Stupid Amendment(00:27:42) - Government Banning Recreational Drugs(00:29:12) - Prohibition and Craft Drinks(00:29:48) - 3 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Prohibition(00:31:57) - Walgreens: Dealing Whiskey During Prohibition(00:32:41) - Top 8 Reasons Why Rum Thrived During Prohibition(00:34:57) - Prohibition Accidentally Created Nascar(00:36:29) - What Should They Do To Get Drunk On Prohibition?(00:37:55) - The Wild Ride of Prohibition, Part 2

Highlights of this episode include uncorking the unbelievable story of how America tried to ban alcohol…and somehow wound up drinking even more. From the loophole-riddled Volstead Act that no one actually understood, to the rise of speakeasies, jazz-fueled rebellion, and bootleggers who accidentally invented NASCAR, we’re tracing how a nationwide “noble experiment” turned into history’s greatest hangover. And because Prohibition isn’t just a relic - it echoes through today’s debates on marijuana, gambling, vaping, and whatever vice we try to outlaw next.

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Episode 085 - History’s Greatest Hangover: When America Tried to Stop Drinking

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This episode was published on December 24, 2025.

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Highlights of this episode include uncorking the unbelievable story of how America tried to ban alcohol…and somehow wound up drinking even more. From the loophole-riddled Volstead Act that no one actually understood, to the rise of speakeasies,...

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