DES MOINES, Iowa — Jason Boggs, like his mother before him, grew up in the shadow of the Hull Avenue Tavern.
He was raised next door and dreaded his daily walk to school past the tavern’s fading doors, the voices that bellowed from inside it.
“And here I am,” Boggs said. “Now I own it. Small world.”
An ever-present neighborhood bar, the Hull Avenue Tavern was built over a century ago on the north side of Des Moines and has served many purposes over the years, with Polk County Assessment records dating the building to at least 1910.
“The Hull has always been a fixture of the neighborhood, without question. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good,” said Diane Schaefer, Boggs' mom and fellow Des Moines native.
The tavern is located in the Union Park area the family fondly calls "Snusville," which had a large Norwegian population, a booming coal mine and plenty of trolley workers looking for a place to relax after grueling work in the early 20th century.
Boggs took over the bar in 2015, inheriting decades' worth of history along with it.
“We're tenacious. This bar saw World War I, World War II, Korea, the moon landing, Vietnam, all the Gulf Wars … All these events have gone down. Just think of the people who have come in here who’ve [since] passed away,” Boggs said.
There are ongoing renovation and preservation efforts for the entirety of the Union Park neighborhood, and Boggs made it clear he wants to be part of that revitalization.
"It's the cycle of life in Snusville. But this was actually once a little thriving neighborhood, as a lot of neighborhoods were, you know, going back 50-60 years ago."
One of the things Boggs wanted most when he purchased the tavern was to have it reflect the community in his mom's memory.
“I remember over 20 years ago it was more of a biker bar. And, you know, now I just, I'm like, ‘No, let's restore to a neighborhood bar,’” Boggs said.
Just as the tavern’s theming and clientele have shifted over its lengthy lifetime, Iowa’s place in the alcohol industry has also had countless iterations.
What is Iowa's history with alcohol?
From the state's formation in 1846, Iowans have held strong opinions about the production and distribution of alcohol.
"At that time in the United States, one of the big reform movements, besides slavery, is temperance and the regulation or banning of alcohol,” said Leo Landis, curator at the State Historical Museum of Iowa.
The temperance movement was, first and foremost, a cause supported by women. Fearing domestic violence and longing for more regulation, the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Iowa made its stance on alcohol known long before women could actually complete their civic duty.
"Women are active in that public sphere and promoting temperance, but when it comes to the ballot box, don't have that opportunity to promote prohibition until 1920," Landis said.
But the cause had footing long before — by the 1880s, proponents of the temperance movement within the Iowa Republican Party proposed and passed a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol altogether in Iowa.
"When you look at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, once it moves to its current location in the late 1880s, one of the earliest non-fair buildings to be built is the Women's Christian Temperance Union," Landis said. "So, the regulation of alcohol in Iowa is represented on our State Fairgrounds in the earliest days of the Des Moines location."
But the legislation was phrased poorly, and the Iowa Supreme Court listened to dissenters and dismissed it by 1883.
Prohibition followed decades after, bringing with it a 13-year period between 1920 and 1933 where no alcohol could be sold legally nationwide.
That didn't stop much, though.
Landis said that, during prohibition, many bars simply became restaurants or shut down, only to resurrect as bars once again in the mid-1930s.
"Iowa has a really fascinating history connected to alcohol production and consumption and regulation," Landis added.
Boggs and Schaefer are fairly certain their tavern made it through that span of years in just that way.
"I have an old business card, and it seemed like the Hull Avenue [served] beverages and something else," Boggs said. "But selling almost pertained to like sodas and [it was] almost like a general store."
Some also continued business as usual, albeit covertly.
"There were local spots that that people knew pretty well, that even in the Prohibition era, you likely could get alcohol. But also, [they] then come back in that 1930s era 1940s era," Landis said.
Post-prohibition, the state took full control of alcohol sales. Iowa is one of 17 states that still retains direct control over at least one part of alcohol regulation - whether that's as a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer.
There are still remnants of blue signs reading '"State Liquor Store" around Iowa, which used to be the only way to purchase certain drinks in the state — and with them comes a reminder of the tight alcohol regulations that lasted through much of the 20th century.
"If you wanted liquor by the drink in Iowa, you needed to buy your own bottle and consume it at home. And you had to register for a permit with the state of Iowa, and the liquor store would log every purchase you made. That was typical into the 1960s," Landis said.
Only in the '60s was liquor by the drink allowed in public bars — after the Class C Liquor License was created — with grocery stores earning the ability to sell beer in 1972, and Sunday sales of alcohol legally allowed in 1973.
"There has been, since the end of prohibition, this movement towards less regulation of alcohol," said Tyler Ackerson, an executive officer with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.
With the arrival of the late '80s came a reconstruction of the system. The changes made the Iowa ABD what it is today, and ensured the state would retain its wholesale abilities for the ever-increasing amount of liquor shops and bars.
What's next for Iowa's alcohol industry?
Though not a historical powerhouse for booze production, Iowa's alcohol industry has seen growth in recent years.
"Right now we are at about 100 breweries and brew pubs, 120 wineries and 45 distilleries, and the majority of that growth in that industry has come over the past decade or so," Ackerson said.
According to 2022 ABD Fiscal Report, the state earned $468,404,346 in total revenue the last fiscal year, with just over 92% of that number coming from liquor sales.
That's up 3.75% compared to 2021 sales, and marks a 41.16% increase over the past five years.
"What we're seeing now is not so much new entrants into the market. Instead, we are seeing those businesses who have established themselves and their brands moving into other markets within the state," Ackerson said.
He noted that sales have been significantly higher since the pandemic began, especially in regard to the beverage most heavily restricted in decades past: liquor.
"Last year, looking at beer gallons sold, they were only up about 1% over pre-pandemic levels, [and] wine was actually down about 2%," Ackerson said. "And spirits sales, surprisingly, were up about 10% over pre-pandemic levels. But that reflects a nationwide trend, which shows that consumers are starting to switch their preference more towards spirits and less towards wine and beer."
Despite its restrictive regulatory past, Iowans are investing in the future of alcohol in the state. You can check out the state's top 15 native distillers and manufacturers here.
While economic growth is good and loosened regulations may appeal to some, Iowa's agencies are working to keep everyone involved in the three-tier system safe.
"I think it's important to remember that alcohol is a unique commodity. It has the potential to have very serious effects on society, and there has to be a level of regulation associated with alcohol," Ackerson said. "And that's what our role is at the ABD is to license, regulate and then control the distribution of those spirits for the purpose of protecting health, safety and welfare of the people of Iowa."
Boggs knows better than anyone what alcohol can do to people, emphasizing that he wants the future of the Hull Avenue Tavern to prioritize health.
"What's important, me too, is I want a safe environment for everyone ... I want women to come in here by themselves and feel comfortable and feel safe," he said.
Ackerson predicts alcohol sales cooling off over the next few years, especially with sober movements like Dry January raising awareness for alcoholism and cementing mocktails as a menu staple.
But those changes might take a while to show up in statewide data.
"Dry January was something that a lot of folks were participating in. But we did not see that reflected on spirits sales, at least. We were actually up 17% over last January in terms of sales. So, you know that shows that there's still strong growth there with spirits, again, reflecting national trends."
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse Prevention Bureau connects Iowans to addiction treatment and other recovery resources, while the ABD protects public health via regulatory measures.
To learn more about resources for those struggling with alcohol abuse issues in Iowa, click here.