On January 17, National Bootlegger’s Day honors the daring entrepreneurs who thrived during Prohibition. The day coincides with the birthday of Templeton Rye whiskey’s founder, Al Capone’s preferred bootlegged brand.

Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. The unintended consequence? A thriving underground economy led by bootleggers, speakeasies, and rum-runners.

“Bootleggers were the ultimate risk-takers, and their ingenuity changed the way Americans viewed alcohol,” says historian Michael Carter. The era also gave rise to iconic figures such as Capone and expanded America’s love for whiskey and cocktails.

Today, National Bootlegger’s Day celebrates this storied past. Raise a glass responsibly with a vintage-inspired cocktail or explore the history of spirits that shaped a pivotal era in American history.