O’Donnell Moonshine is where tradition meets a new world of taste! Just like gangsters of the American Prohibition, we bottle our smooth & delicious liqueurs in stylish preserving jars known as Mason Jars. 'Moonshine' was the name for the illegally distilled alcohol of the prohibition era, that inspired our journey. Our name derives from the leader of one of the most notorious Moonshine gangs in Chicago; Mr Spike O'Donnell.
The origin of our Moonshine lies in the beginning of 20th century America — the time of Prohibition. Throughout the 1920s, the sale and production of any alcoholic beverages was completely prohibited which led to devastating consequences. During this period, unemployment was followed by a sharp rise in crime and corruption. The citizens rebelled by continuing to illegally distil the liqueur on farms, sell it to smugglers known as "bootleggers" and serve it in "speakeasy" bars. On top of all this, drinking continued and the smuggler gangs took control of the alcohol business. Consequently, the state lost considerable tax revenue and eventually the law was repealed by then-President Roosevelt.
Edward "Spike" O'Donnell (1890-1962) — our namesake – was leader of the South Side Gang in Chicago during the Chicago Beer Wars where he fought bloody battles with its opponents. Although Spike was a ruthless gangster, quality was always important to him, which is why he stuck to producers of German origin. O’Donnell had little remorse when it came to fighting other mobsters for supremacy in the alcohol black market, but paid attention to quality by remaining loyal to producers of German origin and went on to be a defining character of the Roaring Twenties. In 1925 he retired from the business after an accident and after the notorious Al Capone had taken over the leading role within the illegal alcohol business. But in our Moonshine Spike's history and the era of prohibition lives on.
