BTY’s 100-IBU team member Rob Absten and I stumbled upon an interesting and very visible memento of the dark years of Prohibition. We were on a walk around the city over the weekend and heading to Moxxee Coffee on Lee and Morris Streets (get there if you haven’t been).  We took a shortcut through the parking lot of the Baptist Temple and there she was – in all her understated glory, a fountain humbly sitting ironically dry as a bone and emblazoned with the plaque you see below. This font was apparently crafted and dedicated while the failed social experiment of Prohibition was in full swing (though waning).

Just imagine if you will, while the letters of this plaque were being formed and cast, Charleston’s own syndicate of organized criminals were making the trek back from the moonshine stills with their loads of liquid gold to sell, probably to some of the hypocrites that would be attending the fountain’s dedication. Make no mistake, I don’t gives a Rat’s behind if you don’t want to imbibe, just leave me the hell alone and we will be fine…

Prohibition was a failed experiment and was not solely wrought upon us from the religious folk, it was an unholy alliance of the religious and the social progressives of the era. I am not religion bashing here, though the Baptist Temple should by-now realize that Prohibition failed miserably and to have such a shrine still standing is like (well, I won’t go there…). Now if I could only tunnel under that thing and make it spurt beer during the next Sunday morning service; that would be awesome! (I would have to make sure to buy the beer on Saturday though…)

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