Rockford, 1931. The mob war is hot. Repeal is coming. And someone in this room has been killing witnesses.
Prohibition is dying. The mob war between Rockford’s rival families has kept the city on edge for years. Someone is dead. And a killer has been hiding in plain sight — using the chaos of the bootleg wars as cover for something far more calculated.
Tonight, the people who built this city, broke its laws, reported its scandals, and buried its secrets have all been called to the same room. Every faction has a reason to be here. Every faction has something to hide.
“The people in this room on September 26 will be real Rockford. The history is real. The whiskey is real. The murder — that’s ours.”
— TIM FORD, MASTER DISTILLER & HOST
Rockford, Illinois. September 1931. The Great Depression has hollowed out the city. The mob war between the Musso organization and the Giovingo brothers has kept Winnebago County in a state of nervous tension for three years. Five men have been found strangled in the past eight months. The killings don’t fit mob business — the method is wrong, the victims don’t connect, and nobody is looking too hard.
Tonight, a private dinner has been called at the establishment of Hiel Ford — a man positioning himself to open Rockford’s first legal distillery the moment Repeal passes. Every faction with a stake in the city’s future has been invited. The industrialists. The press. The civic machine. The mob. And somewhere beneath the noise of a city unraveling, a killer is in the room — and the one man who can expose everything is sitting at the table without knowing it.
Barnstormer requests the pleasure of your company at their table.
Upon Your Arrival – Passed as the evening’s business begins
Estate Cucumber on Pumpernickel — crème fraîche, dill, caper, smoked salmon
Devils on Horseback — bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed with almond
The Ford Connection — a mini Bloody Mary shrimp shooter, Barnstormer vodka
The Gathering Table – Yours to return to all evening long
Assorted Meats & Cheese, Deviled eggs, cucumber cream cheese crackers, caprese skewers, smoked salmon rounds, Assorted Pickles and Olives, Pumpernickel, seeded rye, water crackers, breadsticks, Seasonal fruit, nuts, Estate honey, horseradish cream, whole grain mustard, fig jam.
Available throughout the evening
The Evening Supper – Opens thirty minutes into the evening
Swiss Steak — slow-braised, Midwest style
Sliced Pork Loin — with pan gravy
Repeal Day Tortellini — a Ford family favorite, insisted upon by Hiel himself — vegetarian
Captain’s Beans — slow-cooked with Barnstormer Whiskey & Cucumber Vodka
Charred Butter Corn — griddle-finished
Roasted Garlic & Horseradish Mashed Potatoes — finished with chives
All spirits poured this evening are estate crafted at Barnstormer Distillery 6969 S Main St, Rockford IL 61102
REPEAL DAY SWEETS – Passed by hand as the evening winds down
Hiel’s Bourbon Balls — hearty pour, drink responsibly
Maggie’s Bourbon Balls — a lighter hand, classic recipe
Mini Tarts