Cowboy Hangout Spot
The pioneers didn’t have many forms of entertainment. Remember, this is way before iPads, TVs, and even board games. With not much else to do, cowboys spent most of their free time at the saloon. The most popular drink at the time was “whiskey,” which was basically a mixture of burnt sugar, chewing tobacco, and sugar alcohol. It definitely shouldn’t call itself a whiskey, but the drink was strong.
Photo by Bill Manns / Shutterstock
Another favorite was some kind of “cocktail” made out of cactus wine, tequila, and peyote tea. Both of these powerful drinks were dangerous too. They were known to cause cowboys to become violent, and bar fights were not uncommon. Black eyes and injuries were evident, but sometimes, the fights resulted in deaths.