Article: Choctaw beer: tonic or devil's brew?

Originally a drink of the Choctaw Indians, Choctaw beer was a concoction composed of hops, barley, tobacco, fishberries, and a small amount of alcohol. When thousands of com miners found work in the Choctaw Nation in the 1880s, they quickly adopted "choc" as their favorite libation. Miners argued that Choctaw beer was a tonic necessary to maintain their health. Despite the Federal government's repeated attempts in the 1890s to suppress the manufacturing and distribution of "choc," Choctaw beer remained readily available long after the Choctaw Nation no longer existed. To this day Choctaw beer remains an important component of the cultural history of Oklahoma. Federal ...

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