Propination laws were a privilege granted to Polish szlachta that gave landowners a monopoly over profits from alcohol drank by peasants they owned. In many cases, profits from propination exceeded those from agricultural production or other sources.
These laws usually included:
These laws first appeared in the 16th and were widespread by the 17th century. They lasted until 1845 (Prussian partition), 1889 (Galicia) and 1898 (Russian Partition).
Propination was the main cause for massive alcoholism in Poland; also, because taverns in rural region were leased nearly exclusively by Jews who took part in enforcing these privileges (being banned from most other occupations), it was also a major reason for anti-semitism among peasants.
References
Propination laws Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA