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The Bristol Methanol Massacre | Montpelier News
In 1914, thirteen men in Vermont’s town of Bristol died from methanol poisoning after drinking alcohol laced with deadly wood alcohol sold by local doctor Don A. Bisbee. Operating under a loophole in Vermont’s “local option” dry town laws, Bisbee sold what he claimed was liquor—but it was actually toxic methanol, likely from cologne spirits he purchased. Though he claimed ignorance, he was convicted and sentenced to 12–15 years. After a settlement with the wholesaler and serving four and a half years, he was pardoned—but his past resurfaced when a newspaper exposed him. The tragedy ignited…
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