Do the Amish drink?

Indiana has granted a permit for wine sales to a local hotel in Shipshewana (or just plain Ship-she), the tourist center of the northern Indiana Amish settlement.  Shipshe is a historically dry town.  Seems some residents are pretty upset. 

Some cite Amish traditions as a reason for keeping the town booze-free.

We might think that drinking is not a part of the culture, but Amish and alcohol can and do mix.  Most famously, it's Rumspringa-age youth, but in the decentralized Amish system, there is no across-the-board Mormon-like principle against consumption. 

So it would probably depend more on the community and custom, and of course individual preference.

New Order Amish are completely against it.  Alcohol, like tobacco and bed courtship, was one of the sticking points that caused them to split off in the 60's.  In the Old Order world it's not so clear-cut.

I once sat with an Amishman in central Indiana as he told me, with something akin to horror, of a settlement in another state where hard liquor was customary on greeting a visitor.  Sounds more like Polish custom now that I think about it.

I've noticed the odd bottle of hard stuff on Amish shelves a couple times;  I've bumped into a dad or two having a Saturday night brew.  Amish may have a celebratory drink at weddings.  Homemade spirits like wine or cider were perhaps more common in the past.

One writer in Hostetler's Amish Roots describes her father's long battle with alcoholism, and his eventual triumph over it, thanks in part to Alcoholics Anonymous.

But on the public stage, if not the private, the Amish really aren't that big on drinking.  As Donald Kraybill puts it in The Riddle of Amish Culture:  'Alcohol abuse, present among some youth, is practically nil among adults'.

Concerning the youth, some parents look the other way.  But others put time and effort trying to crack down on it. 

This  eye-opener of an article describes collaboration between the Amish and local law enforcement.  One case ends in a couple of nights in jail for a pair of cocky underage drinkers. 

When asked why he chose such a harsh approach, the judge involved replies that 'their elders want me to treat them like that'.


So Shipshewana may no longer be dry, but it's not likely to change much.

You'll still be a lot more likely to catch an Amish fella with a cold can of Dew, a piping-hot cup of coffee, or a tin of straight-from-the-udder raw milk, than a cool Bud.

Comments

[Genevieve]

The Amish do have a German heritage after all, and the Germans do drink.

[Amish America]

Good point.

[Kevin Williams]

The Amish ambivalence about alcohol was a surprise me when I first started visiting their communities years ago.....for some reason I had it in my mind that the Amish wouldn't drink at all....but your post said it well, it really just depends on the person, not a centralized church edict....I've sipped Amish-made, homemade dandelion wine (yum) and seen plenty of cases of beer being bought by Amish......but, as you say, others won't get near it...kind of mirrors the non-Amish population....

[Melissa]

I'm not sure why I think this, but someone must have told me this once: Do most "edicts" in the Amish community come from the local Bishop?

[Amish America]

Hi Melissa--Most of the 'big-time' edicts come from the Bible of course, but when you get down to the cultural issues of say, what kind of clothes are acceptable (which is what I think you're talking about-?), it's usually a bit more democratic, ie if there is enough support for a change--say to allow a certain type of farm technology--there is usually something like a vote held. If people can agree on a change, great, but there is always the potential for a split or dissatisfied members leaving for a more liberal or conservative congregation. The rules for a particular district are reviewed twice a year at a special church service held just prior to the Communion service.

The Bishop is charged with upholding the agreed community standards among his members, enforcing the rules with the help of his deacon and ministers. He's not really a totalitarian figure as much as it might seem, ie he doesn't legislate so much as executes.

Kevin--dandelion wine--sounds great--I can't imagine what that's like. Maybe I will get a shot to try, I will be in Holmes County in 2 weeks.