Museum Notebook: Illicit brewing operations common in 1800s

Parts of an illicit still ploughed up at Mākirikiri by William Caines, comprising the receiver unit, round bowl and pipe. This still was said to have originally been used at Gabriel's Gully near Lawrence, Otago. Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 1927.52

Lots of Kiwis like a drink every now and then. Whether attending sports fixtures, celebrations or backyard barbecues, we are often seen with a drink in our hands.

This convivial reputation began early after the arrival of Europeans in Aotearoa.

Many immigrants came from countries where beer was safer to drink than water and spirits were medicinal. Drinking was particularly attractive to early immigrants as work was hard, housing was rough, and the lack of other entertainments made the pub the best place to congregate, hear news and negotiate business.

Alcohol perhaps became too attractive - this country soon developed a reputation for drunkenness and villainy. In the 1870s, the UK had seven convictions for drunkenness for every 1000 people in the population, whereas New Zealand had 18.

A study of beer sales and imports shows similar rates of consumption per capita. The increased drunkenness has been explained by the binge-drinking nature of early colonists, who worked in the bush for blocks of time then blew their earnings at the pub when they got to town.

But the study only looked at beer and didn't acknowledge the Kiwi penchant for spirits and fortified wines. Also, it didn't take illicit brewing operations into account.

Many immigrants brought their traditional brewing methods with them and set up their own stills. To try to curb the trend, stills were outlawed in 1841, but were made legal again by 1868. Six years later, an increase in the duty on spirits drove many stills underground to avoid the extra fees.

A bottle from a more legitimate whiskey manufacturer, Black Horse Whiskey. This brand of whiskey was made in England and exported to Australia and New Zealand. This bottle was found in a pit near the site of the Imperial Hotel on Victoria Avenue. Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 2002.48.69

Different provinces were able to make their own liquor laws until the Licensing Act of 1881, which encompassed the whole country. The laws were influenced by the Prohibition and Temperance movements and controlled liquor licences, the drinking age and pub hours.

But it didn't stop people from trying to brew in their own backyards without a licence.

Bruce McClintock immigrated from Ireland with his father and brothers in 1923. They lived rough for some time before settling, and Bruce recalled one of his father's hobbies:

"Father was a hard case. He used to make poteen [poitín] whiskey in Ireland. So he decided to make a worm and condenser and started to make whiskey in Wanganui only 120 yards away from the Police Station. He met up with an Irish bootmaker and an Irish policeman and away they went. When they were condensing the whiskey the three of them would sip it as it was coming out of the condenser. By the time they were finished they would be pretty drunk, drinking 100 per cent pure whiskey, so I had to keep condensing till the early hours of the morning. I had to stoke the fire with coal and old boot leather collected from the boot repair shops. The old boot leather etc burning with the coal killed the smell of the poteen whiskey which could be smelt quite a way off. When condensing was finished and all bottles corked, I would bury them in the garden. In the gorse blossom season I had to go out with a sugar-bag and gather the blossom which was boiled and bottled. This Father used to colour the whiskey."

It's just as well Mr McClintock had a policeman friend, or he would have been in for a hefty fine if his still was discovered. In 1928, a Southland man was charged for possession and use of an illegal still and fined £500 – equating to nearly $58,000 today.

Sláinte!

• Sandi Black is the archivist at Whanganui Regional Museum.