100 Years Ago: July 19-25

From The Indianapolis Star, Wednesday, July 23, 1919: Albert Lieber, president of the Indianapolis Brewing Co, issued a warning to persons drinking home brews. While prohibition does not prevent the home manufacture of alcoholic beverages, Lieber believes that some of these concoctions could be ruinous to the stomach. He contends that former beer drinkers are resorting to all sorts of formulas and recipes in making home brews which have more “kick.” The result, Lieber asserts, is that Indianapolis doctors are doing a land office business doctoring people with diseased stomachs. The Indianapolis Brewing Co is the only local brewery which has turned part of its plant over to making a cereal beverage, Tonica. Before prohibition, the company employed 1,000 men, today only fifteen make the drink. The other three city breweries are idle or have been leased to other industries.