Minnesota 13
Encyclopedia
Minnesota 13 was the name given to the corn liquor moonshine
distilled on many central Minnesota
Stearns County farms. It became well known across America and Canada as "Minnesota 13", a premium quality twice distilled and properly aged whiskey, (said by manny to taste remarkably like "Canadian Club"). One story says the name came from a producer who hand-lettered his labels because he was proud of his product. Minnesota 13 was the name of an open pollinated corn variety developed by the University of Minnesota and used in Stearns County because of its shorter growing season. Stearns County was populated predominantly by German and Polish Catholics at that time. Holdingford was considered the unofficial moonshine capital of Minnesota.
Eventually, Federal agents managed to sharply curtail the large-scale manufacturing of moonshine in Stearns County. They succeeded by burning barns and sheds and through various acts of intimidation. They exploited divisions within the community by using informers and they undermined the tip system by sharpening their raiding strategies. Increased surveillance and a bigger stick to punish in the form of Jones Law finally blunted community resistance.
However, while they managed to alter behavior, they failed to change beliefs. Stearns County had its revenge when it voted 4 to 1 for repeal of the hated 18th amendment to the US Constitution. A number of books on local history refer to Minnesota 13 and its importance of helping people through tough times. The only book on the subject is Minnesota 13 Stearns County's 'Wet' Wild Prohibition Days by Elaine Davis published in 2007.
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
distilled on many central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Stearns County farms. It became well known across America and Canada as "Minnesota 13", a premium quality twice distilled and properly aged whiskey, (said by manny to taste remarkably like "Canadian Club"). One story says the name came from a producer who hand-lettered his labels because he was proud of his product. Minnesota 13 was the name of an open pollinated corn variety developed by the University of Minnesota and used in Stearns County because of its shorter growing season. Stearns County was populated predominantly by German and Polish Catholics at that time. Holdingford was considered the unofficial moonshine capital of Minnesota.
Eventually, Federal agents managed to sharply curtail the large-scale manufacturing of moonshine in Stearns County. They succeeded by burning barns and sheds and through various acts of intimidation. They exploited divisions within the community by using informers and they undermined the tip system by sharpening their raiding strategies. Increased surveillance and a bigger stick to punish in the form of Jones Law finally blunted community resistance.
However, while they managed to alter behavior, they failed to change beliefs. Stearns County had its revenge when it voted 4 to 1 for repeal of the hated 18th amendment to the US Constitution. A number of books on local history refer to Minnesota 13 and its importance of helping people through tough times. The only book on the subject is Minnesota 13 Stearns County's 'Wet' Wild Prohibition Days by Elaine Davis published in 2007.
External links
- City of Holdingford
- Minnesota 13’ Corn - Background and Importance of ‘Minnesota 13’ Corn
- KVSC news Minnesota_13podcast
- Minnesota 13 - web site
- Holdingford Area Historical Society