The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas is recognizing Repeal Day, which commemorates the date when Prohibition was repealed, with a series of events from Dec. 1 to 5.
There will be a Downtown Las Vegas Cocktail Crawl and eye-opening presentations on Prohibition-Era history and more.
These events take the place of the museum's Repeal Day party.
The Las Vegas Cocktail Crawl and Boss of the Bars competion will take place Dec. 1 through 4. Participating bars include Atomic Liquors, Freedom Beat at Downtown Grand, Triple George, Oscar’s Steakhouse, Parlour Bar at El Cortez, Pizza Rock and Velveteen Rabbit. Each Cocktail Crawl bar will offer a prohibition-inspired cocktail for $5 each. A free map of participating locations will be available from The Mob Museum box office.
To help the public determine this year’s Boss of the Bars, The Mob Museum will film and share videos of participating bartenders preparing and telling the stories behind their drinks, inspired by Prohibition and bearing names such as Bee’s Knees, French 75 and Ward 8. These videos will be uploaded to the Museum’s Facebook page. Everyone is encouraged to view the videos, join the Cocktail Crawl and vote for their favorite cocktail. On Dec. 5, the winning bar will be crowned, taking home several exciting prizes as well as the Museum’s coveted Boss of the Bars trophy to display on its premises for one year.
On Dec. 3, four speakers will deliver talks in the Museum’s courtroom about different aspects of Prohibition-Era history. Throughout the afternoon, mixologists from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits will demonstrate Prohibition-Era cocktails; a limited number of samples will be available for guests aged 21-and-older to taste. In addition, author and organized crime expert Scott Deitche will sign copies of his book, “Cocktail Noir,” in the Museum’s retail store.
The schedule follows:
12 p.m.
Organized Crime during Prohibition, Geoff Schumacher, The Mob Museum director of content – Schumacher will discuss how Prohibition transformed street hoodlums into millionaire syndicate organized crime bosses.
1 p.m.
The Temperance Movement, Claire White, The Mob Museum education outreach manager – Attendees will hear how Christians, female activists and concerned physicians joined forces to propel a ban on alcohol in the United States.
30-minute cocktail demonstration
Book-signing, “Cocktail Noir” by Scott Deitche, in the Museum’s retail store (until 4 p.m.)
1:30 p.m.
30-minute cocktail demonstration
2 p.m.
Prohibition in Las Vegas, Michael Green, professor of history, UNLV – Prohibition coincided with an era of great change in Las Vegas, which saw the implementation of major federal projects and new state laws that made gambling and divorce easy.
30-minute cocktail demonstration
2:30 p.m.
30-minute cocktail demonstration
3 p.m.
Bootlegging and the Birth of NASCAR, Jeff Burbank, The Mob Museum content development specialist – In this presentation, guests will hear about the little-known correlation between bootleggers’ need to transport liquor fast and the development of “souped-up” automobile engines. These bootleggers’ cars shaped the development of the stock car, which gave rise to the National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) in 1947.
Repeal Day events held at The Mob Museum on December 3 are free with admission and free for Museum Members.
