Remember, remember, the 5th of December.
Happy Repeal Day!
By the time this Session article will be published, Repeal Day will be long past, but let’s take some time to commemorate this special day in beer history, December 5th. We arrived at this
holiday thanks to the now infamous date of January 20, 1920, when the Volstead Act was passed, officially beginning the Prohibition Age. As we all know now, the Prohibition Era of America was one of rampant crime, backdoor dealings, and illicit alcoholic beverages galore!
Thanks, in part, to the Great Depression that occurred in the late 20s into early 30s, President Franklin D Roosevelt saw an opportunity to boost the economy by reversing many of the Prohibition laws. By taxing the sale of legally sold beer and spirits, the government would
be able to raise millions of dollars to aid the economy. The ball got rolling at the start of 1933, when Roosevelt signed into law the Cullen-Harrison Act, allowing some alcohol sales. On April 6th, “New Beers Eve” was upon the people, with 4% beer being legalized on April 7th. It is said that within 24 hours, 1.5 million barrels of beer were sold! The people were thirsty! As could be expected, the tax dollars the government received from the new beer sales, plus the outright joy of the American people—being allowed to drink again—led to the famous Repeal Day of December 5th, 1933. In celebration, some of the famous commercial beer companies of the time sent ample cases of beer to the White House. Times were improving!
Today, beer and alcohol sales continue to grow and fuel economic growth. We hope our Session readers sat back, reflected on a much more challenging past, and drank some beer on the 89th anniversary of this special day. Do us a favor, remember, remember, the 5th of December.
CHEERS!
Reference
“https://beerstreetjournal.com/your-repeal-day-rundown-be-a-genius-at-the-bar-today-with-pics/”
