Why Did Parents Put Whiskey in Baby Bottles Back in the Day?

A Forgotten Practice Explained Through History, Culture, and Modern Science

“I had no clue.”
That’s the reaction many people have the first time they hear this question. And understandably so. The idea of putting whiskey—or any alcohol—into a baby’s bottle sounds shocking, dangerous, and unthinkable by today’s standards. Yet, for generations, this practice was surprisingly common in many parts of the world.

So why did parents do it?
Were they careless—or were they simply acting on the best knowledge available at the time?

The answer is far more complex, human, and historically rooted than it might first appear.

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A Different Time, A Different Understanding

To understand why parents once put whiskey in baby bottles, we must step back into a world that looked very different from our own.

Before modern medicine, before pediatricians were widely available, before antibiotics, pain relievers, or even reliable thermometers, parents relied heavily on tradition, word of mouth, and folk remedies passed down through generations.

In those times:

• Infant mortality was tragically high
• Medical care was expensive or inaccessible
• Scientific understanding of child development was limited
• Alcohol was widely used as medicine

What seems outrageous today was often seen as normal, practical, and even loving back then.

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Alcohol as Medicine: A Historical Norm

For most of human history, alcohol wasn’t just a recreational substance—it was medicine.

Doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries routinely prescribed alcohol for:

• Pain relief
• Sedation
• Cough suppression
• Digestive issues
• Fever reduction

Whiskey, brandy, and rum were commonly listed in medical guides and home remedy books. Pharmacies sold alcohol-based tonics, and parents kept bottles at home for “emergencies.”

When adults were given alcohol for pain or sleep, it didn’t seem unreasonable—at the time—to give a much smaller amount to a distressed baby.

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Teething: One of the Biggest Reasons

One of the most common reasons parents added whiskey to baby bottles was teething.

Teething babies often cried uncontrollably, struggled to sleep, and appeared to be in significant pain. Before modern teething gels and pain relievers, parents felt helpless.

Alcohol was believed to:

• Numb the gums
• Calm the baby
• Help them sleep

Some parents rubbed whiskey directly on the gums. Others diluted a few drops into milk or water.

To them, it wasn’t about intoxication—it was about relief.