Two demijohns of bourbon sourced from the famed Chicago liquor purveyors will intoxicate bidders at Bonhams on April 30 in New York.

Chapin & Gore's Chicago bars were filled with some of the top names of the day

The demijohns are reminiscent of those favoured by gangsters during the prohibition era (1920-1933) but were actually made from barrels intended for US general and explorer Zebulon Pike.

Chapin & Gore became known as local heroes after they saved several hundred barrels of rye whisky from destruction by rolling them into Lake Michigan during the Chicago Fire of 1871.

After achieving a certain fame, the booze was then sold for an inflated price, renamed Lake Whiskey and advertised as being "as smooth as silk".

The pair also owned a number of bars in Chicago, with patrons including Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill.

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