Variety (Jul 1926)

VARIETY Wednesday, July 7, 1826 UQUOR PRICES ML OV (Continued from page 1) '(■mployed In the manufacture of the "130 Scotch." Whiskies are plentiful all over the United States, according to the ■weeping survey by Variety, re- ported herewith and with bootleg- fing prices for boose under the re- spective cities elsewhere on this page. A wide range In the liquor mar- kets is evidenced by the prices of Hquor in the mid-west section being abnormally high comparatively. In Kansas City, Scotch run In there from Miami, Fla., retails at $150 a case, while in San Francisco where there is apparently an ovcr- eupply of booze, Scotch retails at $60. In most sections where liquor Is, high reports say "moonshine" finds the most ready sale. All quotations for liquor are re- tail prices (to consumers) excepting In the city of New York, where the quotations among dealers are given. In New York also it Is claimed that rye whiskey selling at $85 a case (12 bottles) Id a phony booze. Reliable dealers say they will not recommend any rye and frequently aome dealers have been known to decline orders for rye whiskey. Beer's Increased Price Of late and also in New York it is claimed an excellent Canadian ale Is being sold to dealers (restau-; rants) at $38 for 48 quart bottlea A good beer Is also around New York selling at $32 for 48 bottles. CANADA OnL Ont. boot- QtMboo OoT. Us Got. Beer. 8-14%. $4.20 $6 |S Champagne, not sold 60 86-90 Burgundy ..88-86 85 26 up Scotoh 42-60 72 48 Rye 80 46 40 SALT LAKE CITY Rye ^ I1T6 Scotch 176 (Infrequently received and claimed to be from Canada) "Moonshine" (gal.) 10 Gin 86 SEATTLE Scotch $90/120 Rye 120 Gin 75 Champagne 125 DENVER Scotch (imported) . .$180.00 Rye (imported) 180.00 Scotch (domestic) ..... 87.60 Rye (domestic) •• 87.50 Gin (genuine?) 120.00 Champagne (question- able) 800.00 "Sugar whiskey" (gal.). 15.00 LOS ANGELES Scotch (cut) $55-$70 Scotch (original) SS'-lOO Bourbon (not guaran- teed) 60 Bourbon (guaranteed) .120-150 Gin (synthetic) 80- 40 Champagne (domestic). 80 Champagne (imported) 100-150 Light wines 80 nCCADILLY HOTEL and TIE mm CLUB LONDON Featuring the World's Greatest Artistes A. J. CLARKE ■ole Amsrlcan R«pr«MnMttlve iSHoMtng ■solMlTcly Throosh 4he WILLIAM MORRia AOENCY IMO Broadway; Naw York Three years ago beer was quoted at $35 a barrel (144 bottles). Champagne in New York selling at $86 a case is pronounced genuine with slight demand, too light, say loggers, to make it worth while to "fake" champagne for certain con- sumers. A good gin is also in New York at $40 a case. Reports on liquor quotations and comment In this issue have been procured by special correspondents with the plain facts stated. The correspondents were requested to furnish any special reason for the high or low prices of liquor in their territory. In several of the reports direct and indirect references are made to local and federal officials in con- nection with the liquor traffic TORONTO on Quebee alcohoL This can be bought without much trouble at $3 a quart wholesale, 66 per cent over- proof. The ehemists can cut this at least three times bringing the kick to $1 a quart. This Is the stuff sold along the New York waterfront for $50 a doxen and less. A good wallop and harmless but the runners say the taste is bad. (CANADA) New York is underselling the Canadian liquor market by at least $10 a case and, according to run- ners from this port, the wet goods sold in Gotham is "mighty good stuff." Montreal, headquarters of the Quebec Liquor Commission and ex- porting centre of most hard liquor for American cities east of Chicago, averages $50 a case for good Scotch. This, of course, is retail price, no case lots being sold in the province. The liquor is guaranteed to be in original bottles every drop backed by the government. At this rate the government ad- mits a profit of 80 percent and up. Ontario prices average 60 cents to a dollar a bottle less than in Que- bec. Ontario government price for Haig and Haig, White Horse, King George 4th, John Walker and Daw- sons Is $3.50 while Quebec gets $4.25 for the same bottle and Or.- tario bootleggers demand $7. Puzsled Rum Runners How the man 6n the street can pick up a fair case of Scotch in! New York for under $60 is puzzling to the runners of this port. One thins that might mean some- thing is the activity of the Quebec bottle market. Originals of any well known brand are being bought for 60 cents a dozen with prices offered up to $1. Commission shops in both Quebec and Ontario sell only In original bottles except on the cheaper brands. None of the Scotch or American distilleries have bottling plants on this side except at Corby's in Belle- ville, Gooderham and Worts in Toronto, and Walkers in Walker- ville. The Seagram plant only bottle their own stuff. None of these plants is using second hand bottles. This prac- tically proves the empties are getting across the Hne where they are filled wit'h a good mixture based CmCAQO An oyersupply of liquor, remain- ing practically undepleted by a weak demand, has Chicago's liquor mar- ket at a standstill. Although al- most every day seizure of five and 10,000-gallon stills is reported in the papers, the stuff is just as easy to obtain as before. Scotch, bourbon and gin are the popular drinks here, the best Scotch seUlBg at $80 with a sUll palatable inferior drawing $76. The same prices prevail for bourbon. Gin, of good quality and bedecked with Gordon labels, is peddled for $30 a case. Rye is practically unknown, while champagne is considered a luxury, almost impossible to obtain. At one time when dealers were Importing stuff from New York and Detroit the liquor passed through so many middlemea that prices were away out of proportion. This stimu- lated local alcohol manufacture to a tremendous extent. With presses turning out labels within 40 miles of Chicago the eheaper products soon drove Imports on a downhill rampage. There Is a big difference in the beer situation In Chicago, St. Louis and New York. In St. Louis, for in- stance, beer Is what you can get, practically nothing else but. In Chicago, however, through the big beer scandal and wholesale brew- ery closings, a decent brew can be obtained only at rare intervals. And thsa at $1 a bottle. NEW YORK Scotch ("McCoy") $48 Scotch (phoney) 80 Rye 86 (Dealers refuse to recommend any rye at any price) Champagne 86 Ale (48 qts.) 38 Beer (48 large bottles) 82 (Ale and beer, Canada) BALTIMORE Scotch $90-$120 Rye (Canadian) 120 Rum (Jamaica) 30 Champagne (good) ... 160 ' Beer (Pcnn) (24 btls.) 10 Light Wines 80 Corn whiskey 70- 80 NEWARK, N. J. Rye (genuine) $150 Rye (domestic) 40 Scotch 48 Braiidy 90 Champagne 100 Beer (barrel) 80 BUFFALO Scotch $60-$85 Rye 60-125 Gin and champagne, not quoted. KANSAS CITY Ths reason for the local high prices on good Scotch and gin is the hasard of automobile trans- portation ot the Uquor and alcohol tiiom Florida, most of the stuft coming' from there. It must pass through at least five sets of con- nectloiis before reaching Kansas City. Both federal and state officers hays shown, much activity In liquor prosecutions la th» past couple of months. ▲ largo number of places have been padlocked but there is plenty of the stuff to be had here. HEWABK, N. J. Ctonuine rye, called here "drug store rye»" Is selling at $150 a case, while rye (so-called) brings $40. Scotch runs from $<0 to $60. What is considered a good grade brings $48. Gin goes at $24. while real Imported brandy, ai little of which MILWAUKEE (Price list recently issued by a Mllwsulcee bootleoo*** for re- Ull trade) Brandies Bisquit Dubouche $88-110 Hennessy » 97. Hartell 88-100 Monnett 80- 96 Imported Chsmpsgne Lanson. 1914 $88 Moet 4k Chandon, 1914. 100 Mumm, extra dry 86-100 Pommery and Greno..^ 86-100 Yve Clicquot 88-100 Gin Booth's Old Tom $80 Gordon's 80-40 Vermouth Ball^^/ItaUan $90 Kollty Pratt French 90 Martini Rossi, ItalUn.. 90 Bourbon (Imported) Old Crow $120 Canadian 120 Rye Corby's $130 Gooderham, Worts Sea- grams 180 Irish Whisky Burke's $165 BushmUrs 160 8ootch Johnny Walker $126 Black & White 115 Dawson's 125 Antiquary 160 White Horse 110 Miscellaneous Ale $16 Benedictine 110 Apricot Brandy 135 Domestio Whisky (Prescription) Old Grandad $110 Antique 120 Old Taylor 110 8 Star Hennessy 110 Cut Whiskies (Dilutsd) All kinds listed above by Snd-mte bootMggers.$80-100^ Is coming in, costs $90. Imported sherry brings $6-$7, and standard brahds> of imported champagne call for $100-$110. Beer that is said to be good goes at $16 a half barrel. The supply is said to be plentiful and there !s no trouble about de- livery. The local business, however, is closely controlled and there kre only three interests operating. Competent authorities state there has not been and will not be any diminution of the supply as the moment stories of Increased coast guard or other prohibition forces' activity are heard, larger quantities pour in, to meet a supposed short- age. Prices, however, can be and are artiflcially maintained as there is no real competition. HINNEAFOLIS Although the liquor traffic here has suffered little interference dur- ing the current year, the trade is not in an especially flourishing con- dition. "Hard times" spell the reason. Booze of all varieties is plenti- ful. That's the trouble. Supply exceeds the demand. The small fry of bootleggens is very much in evidence and making a good living. Many sell their Own home-made product. Others, who manufacture on a larger scale, em- ploy agents. Prices apparently have become Stabilized by understanding. They do not fluctuate appreciably at any time, irrespective of the season or conditions. A few of the **big boys" handle the genuine Scotch, Canadian and bottled-ln-bond American whiskies, practically all of it brought in over the Canadian border. The market for champagne is practically nil, but the "big boys" can get it if called for. It Carries the labels of known French brands without guar- antee as to genuineness. These "big boys" maintain fleets of rum-running automobiles to bring the stuff in from Canada. They do not sell directly but have salesmen who deal with the consumers. Must "Come Across" They make the consumers pay a stiff price because they have to come across with big commissions to salesmen and others. Federal agehts have been so Inactive during the past several months one would scarcely know such animals existed. Inactivity very pronounced since the advent of a hew prohibition di- rector for the territory. As a result, "whiskey sixes, eights and trucks" have been fairly burning up the roads between Winnipeg and Min- neapolis. Arrests and raids are few and far between. The local police occasionally "pinch" the small fry home "moon- shiner" of foreign persuasion. One policeman was lately sent to prison for 10 years for accepting a $10 bribe from a moonshiner. He caught the fellow operating a still in his home and then let him go when he "came across." Within the past 80 days there have been no less than three street SAN FRAtlCISCO Scotch $60 Gin 25/40 Rye 70 Champagne 115 Brandy (goc,J) 90 Brandy (phoney) 60 PITTSBURGH Scotch $120 Rye 120 Scotch (imported) 300 Champagne 400 "Moonshine" 48 Gin 86 Cordials 120 CHICAGO Scotch $75-90 Gin 30 Rye unknown and unbc- lieved. Champagrne no stand- ing nor price. BOSTON Scotch $36-$55 Rye 66- 90 Gin 25- 60 Champagne (no demand—no quotation). shootings as a result of "hijacking^ operations. BUFFALO Current prices for liquor In the local market are somewhat higher than during the past winter. Can- ada continues to be the principal source of supply with transporta* tion active all along the Niagara frontier. River rum runners are the chief carriers although there is much transportation by automobiles. Fre- quent seizures of machines are di- minishing the popularity of this type of conveyance. Canadian wines and champagnes are popular. Ontario Just across the river is flooded with wines, with Welland (Canada) the chief iK>rt oX call. Open loading of rum run- ners in the Welland harbor with wines and whiskies was In daily order up to a few weeks ago. Buf- falo newspapers even sent staff photographers to catch the oper« ations and printed elaborate ' de- scriptions of the leggers' modus operandi. At Welland, Ont., do- mestic champagnes are selling at $24 a case of 12 quarts and slightly over $36 for the same in 24 pints. Druggists are getting $120 ($B per bottle) for a case of 24 pints, genuine. Bootleggers who are able to secure these goods are cutting them three and four times and ask- ing $4 and $5 a pint for the diluted article. One legger who purchases real stuff at $120 is reselling the same unadulterated to a select clientele at $200 per case. Beer is "off and on," Pennsylvani4 and local breweries furnish the chief sources of supply. Good beer may be had here if one "knows the ropes." DENVER Local worshippers prefer tiie homemade concoctions here to the higher priced "imported" alcoholics that come in with the stamp and ear-marks of "good stuff." "Bot- tled-in-barn" liquor is more popular by far than any of the so-called "bottled-ln-bond" variety that reaches this part of the country. The wide difference In price isn't altogether responsible for the preference expressed for the "home grown" product. The w. k. aftsr- (Continued on page 47) . WASHINGTON Scotch (good) $86 Scotch (hazard) ..«....••• 60. Rye (good) 126 Rye (no good) TO Champagne (good) « 120 Gin (good) 86 Cordials (mixed) ........ 180 Benedictine 110 Absinthe (Swiss) ......... 160 Brandy (good) 106 Cordials 90 MINNEAPOLIS Scotch (Canada) ... .$140-$176 Rye (bonded) 120- 180 Wine (Calif.) 90 Champagne (no guar.) 116- 166 Gin (Gordon?) 60 Moonshine 86 "1 SYRACUSE, N. Y. Scotch $60-$140 Rye 60- 100 Gin .. 80- 70 Champagne 86 Beer (barrel) 60 KANSAS CITY Scotch (Miami) $150 Scotch (local) 76 Rye 135 Gin 60 Champagne (imported) .. 150 Est. M189I AGENCY. Ine. WILLIAM MORRIS WM. MGBBIS WM. &IORR18. JB. 1600 Broadway, New York THE TILLER SCHOOLS OF DANCING Leicester House, 10-11 Great Newport St., LONDON, W. C. 2 Trierranhle AiWreMt TIPTOKS WBSTRAND LONDON Director, Mrs. John Tiller