How Buffalo Trace's New Limited-Edition Collection Goes Back To Prohibition

From 1920 to 1933, only six distilleries were legally allowed to produce alcohol in the United States. These distilleries produced booze for medical purposes — and Buffalo Trace Distillery, known as the George T. Stagg Distillery at the time, was one of them. Now, the company is honoring its history with the second edition of its Prohibition Collection. The annual limited-edition set features five bottles inspired by the brands that the distillery sold at the time: Mirror Brook, Very Oldest Procurable (V.O.P.), Anderson's Belle, Old Fashioned Mountain Corn and Silver Wedding Rye Whiskey. The Scandinavian Tobacco Group made a limited-run series of cigars inspired by each whiskey as well, which can be purchased separately.

"As the oldest continuously operating distillery in America, Buffalo Trace Distillery carries a legacy built by pioneers like Albert B. Blanton, who guided it through Prohibition," Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a press release. Buffalo Trace was able to get through prohibition by selling whiskeys intended for "medicinal" purposes — the only legal way to buy alcohol at that time was if it was prescribed to you by a doctor.

The release faithfully reproduces the distillery's prohibition-era packaging: the cartons even include the cut-out where doctors would apply a prescription label. During prohibition, alcohol prescriptions weren't always easy to get: even visiting dignitary and notorious drinker Winston Churchill didn't get off easy. Churchill got a prescription during a visit to the United States in 1931, but contrary to popular belief, it wasn't to stave off cravings. The future Prime Minister had to get hit by a car before a doctor would write him a prescription.

Nowadays, you won't need to get hit by a car to get your hands on the collection — but it doesn't come cheap. The suggested retail price for the complete set, which includes the five whiskeys and a custom wooden display case, is $999.99. That's a steep price for a whiskey distillery known for its affordable but high-quality bottles, so you might opt for cheaper stuff if you want to try your hand at authentic prohibition-era cocktails.  Still, you should act fast if you have the spare change: the release is bound to be a hit among history buffs and whiskey lovers.