Gentlemen Bootleggers

“Bauer serves up history just the way I like it—straight and with a strong punch. Gentlemen Bootleggers is insightful, well-written, and highly entertaining.” —Jonathan Eig, author of Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America’s Most Wanted Gangster

“The story of the legendary ‘Templeton rye’ and the midwestern bootlegging empire that created this liquor is a fascinating slice of American history. Bauer has written a vivid and comprehensive tale, full of characters, action, anecdotes, facts, and cultural observations, that provides a compelling look at this peculiar period. Gentleman Bootleggers is a necessary addition to existing scholarship and a must-have for any scholar or fan of the Prohibition era, bootlegging, and the distillation of illegal spirits.” —Matt Bondurant, author of The Wettest County in the World

“Save for repeal, few good things came of the Eighteenth Amendment. But Templeton rye was one of them. Rethink the Prohibition era in a Grant Wood landscape with the Good Soldier Schweik as Public Enemy Number One, add a few episodes of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, and you’ve got a pretty good sense of Bauer’s story. A nifty bit of local history, it can be read with both gain and pleasure anywhere that whiskey is enjoyed and civil disobedience respected.” —David Schoenbaum, author of The Violin: A Social History of the World’s Most Versatile Instrument

“A well-researched, engaging look at an Iowa bootlegging operation and how the bonds and intimacy of small-town life kept it alive.” —Maureen Ogle, author of Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer

“Pesky revenuers be damned, Gentleman Bootleggers uncovers how small-town Iowa worked together to make and sell rye whiskey. This book will make you crave untaxed liquor . . . the illegal stuff.” —Fred Minnick, author of Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey

“Gentlemen Bootleggers presents an intriguing and accurate account of Templeton rye production during Prohibition and reveals how this illegal activity saved many farmers in the area from foreclosure. Bauer, as a meticulous researcher, does an excellent job of weaving local history with state and national events.” —Arthur Neu, former lieutenant governor of Iowa