Garrett Peck 
The Prohibition Hangover is about the changing role of alcohol in American society since Repeal. The book’s strength is its primary research, as I interviewed dozens of people on all sides of the alcohol debate -– clergy, bar owners, public health advocates, alcohol beverage industry representatives, even Juanita Swedenburg, who successfully led her interstate wine shipment lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. I live just outside Washington, DC. The nation’s capital is an excellent place to research alcohol, as most of the alcohol trade groups are here.
I came to this topic one Christmas eve when I noticed how differently three generations -- my grandmother, my mom, and myself -- approached a bottle of Burgundy wine. That launched me on more than four years of travel, research and interviews to write this book. My travels have taken me to the wine growing regions of Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, the Finger Lakes of New York, the Texas Hill Country, the Rhine and Mosel Rivers of Germany, the budding wine industries in Argentina and Israel, and twice to Italy. I went to Canada to learn about Canadian whisky, and to New Orleans to rediscover the cocktail. I’ve researched the beer industry in Pennsylvania and New England, the wine industry in California, and the distilled spirits industry on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
I also lead the Temperance Tour of Prohibition-related sites in Washington, DC, which was highlighted on Maryland Public Television's "Artworks This Week" in June 2008 and on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU for Repeal Day 2008 (25 minute audio segment on Windows Media and iTunes).
I am a freelance writer for the alcoholic beverage industry and guest speaker on alcohol issues. I contribute regularly to Beverage Network, and have also written about alcohol for The Washington Post, Wine Spectator, Santé, The Forward, and the Northwest Current.
- "Historic New Orleans Cocktails," Santé Magazine, May 19, 2006.
- "Maxing Martinis in Downtown DC," Santé Magazine, June 2006.
- "To Faith, Hope, Charity -- and Temperance?" Northwest Current, June 16, 2006.
- "Bourbon is Back," Beverage Network, September 2006.
- "Red Tape Hangover," The Washington Post, October 19, 2006.
- "Changes Coming to Cognac," Beverage Network, November 2006.
- "Behind the Bar," Santé Magazine, Holiday 2006.
- "Cordial Kaleidoscope," Beverage Network, February 2007.
- "Gin: An Exotic Twist on the Classics," Beverage Network, May 2007.
- “Bourbon County is All Wet,” Wine Spectator, June 30, 2007.
- "Preserving Wine -- Preserving Profits," Beverage Network, September 2007.
- "Is That a Fake ID?" Beverage Network, October 2007.
- "Can Brandy Cure Its Anemia?," Beverage Network, November 2007.
- "Ready to Mix, Ready to Drink," Beverage Network, February 2008.
- "If the Glass Fits," Beverage Network, February 2008.
- "Canadian Whisky," Beverage Network, March 2008.
- "Irish Whiskey: Not Easy Being Green," Beverage Network, March 2008.
- "After 75 Years, What is The Future of the Three-Tier System?" Beverage Network, April 2008.*
- "Holiday Cheer: New Wines from the Holy Land," The Forward, April 11, 2008.
- "Winemaking in Ancient Israel," self-published, April 2008.
- "World Cocktail Week Celebrated at Proof in Washington, DC," Santé Magazine, June 12, 2008.
- "Vodka's Room to Run" (feature article), Beverage Network, July 2008.
- "Move Over Napa: Boutique Wines From Israel Are Making a U.S. Debut," The Forward, November 12, 2008.
- "Finding Efficiencies in Shipping," Beverage Network, January 2009.
- "PX: The Speakeasy Reborn," Santé Magazine, March 2009.
*This was the feature/cover article for the month and was distributed to all delegates at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) convention in Las Vegas in April 2008.
OTHER WRITINGS
I have written for The Washington Post, covering the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the movie Airplane! I served as Francis Kennedy’s research assistant for the Conservation Fund’s The Civil War Battlefield Guide, second edition (1998). I wrote the chapter on the battle of Boydton Plank Road, as well as many of the uncredited smaller battles articles. And I'm an avid letter to the editor writer, such as "Connect the Farragut Stations" and "An Eyeful of Washington Eyesores" in The Washington Post, and "You're Not Old Until You're Dead" in The Washington Blade.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
I earned my M.A. in International Affairs at George Washington University. I have worked thirteen years in marketing. I did my undergraduate work at the Virginia Military Institute, where I was a contributing writer to The Cadet, the weekly college newspaper. I graduated in 1990. Afterward I served with the US Army in Germany, and was stationed near the Mosel River, one of the prime wine-growing regions in the country.
Finally, I have collected wine for more than 20 years.
Photos by Manuel Claros.