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Concept
Sly-grog shop
Summary
In Australia, a sly-grog shop (or shanty) is an unlicensed hotel, liquor-store or other vendor of alcoholic beverages, sometimes with the added suggestion of selling poor-quality products. From the time of the First World War to the 1950s, Australia had early closing of hotels and pubs serving alcoholic beverages. The term is also used to denote illegal sales in Indigenous areas where alcohol has been banned or restricted.
The Australian slang term "sly grog" combines two older English slang terms:
(1) "on the sly", meaning "in a secret, clandestine, or covert manner, without publicity or openness". James Hardy Vaux’s Vocabulary of the Flash Language (1812) defined the term "upon the sly": "Any business transacted, or intimation given, privately, or under the rose, is said to be done "upon the sly".
(2) "grog", a Naval term originally referring to a rum and water mixture. In the Australian context "grog" was used to describe diluted, adulterated and sub-standard rum. In the early decades of the Australian colonies "grog" was often the only alcoholic beverage available to the working classes. Eventually in Australia the word "grog" came to be used as a slang term for any alcoholic beverage.
The term "sly grog" evolved into general usage in Australia during the 1820s. An early reference comes from the Hobart Town Gazette of 18 March 1825: "We therefore felt convinced that in the sequel they would altogether decline applying for licenses, whilst many of them would become sly grog-men to the manifest injury of Government".
Sly-grog shops eventually expanded from their urban context and increased in numbers in rural areas during the period of progressive establishment of farms and pastoral runs in south-east Australia (generally distant from police and bureaucratic control). From the 1850s, cattle began to be replaced by sheep on the extensive pastoral runs along the inland rivers. Large numbers of workers were required to manage the sheep, particularly at shearing time.
Official source
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