Illicit Alcohol Markets and Everyday Crime: A Historical Reconceptualization.

This article examines the persistence and evolution of illicit alcohol markets in England and Wales across the long nineteenth century (circa 1789–1914), challenging the common perception that such markets are exceptional or confined to specific historical episodes. Drawing on extensive archival research, it identifies four main types of illicit alcohol enterprises—smuggling, illicit distillation, adulteration, and various scams and dodges—and highlights a shift from large-scale, organized illegal activities toward hybridized markets where legal and illegal practices intertwined, often involving licensed traders and legitimate businesses. The article introduces the concept of illicit alcohol markets as examples of "everyday crimes," characterized by mundane, small-scale illegalities committed by individuals who often see themselves as law-abiding, and argues that fluctuations in perceptions of governmental legitimacy and fairness influenced compliance within the drinks industry. It concludes that illicit alcohol markets are enduring features of modern Western societies and recommends that policymakers consider their scale, persistence, and hybrid nature when designing and implementing alcohol control measures.