In January 1920, the "noble experiment” began: The United States turned off the taps, preceded by rolling bans in Canada. From Los Angeles to Halifax, the continent had talked itself into believing that banning alcohol would fix poverty, crime, domestic violence, and pretty much everything else wrong with modern life.
Meanwhile, Quebec looked this and politely declined. For the next 13 years, Montreal found itself in a position of the largest metropolis in North America where you could still legally order a drink. The cabarets, jazz, and trainloads of thirsty Americans, gangsters, and all-night everything that followed wouldn’t simply make for a good decade; this is a time in history that would build the reputation Montreal still carries today.
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