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Celebrate '75 Years of Beer'
Read the full press release on why April 7, 1933 was significant for beer.
What does '75 Years of Beer' mean to the U.S. and our history?
The 18th Amendment to the United States constitution was ratified by Congress on January 16, 1919. This amendment made it illegal to produce, distributor or sell alcohol (as defined by the Volstead Act).
Many happenings led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment. The growth of organized crime during Prohibition and the law itself lead to nation-wide support for the repeal of Prohibition. Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the repeal of prohibition one of his top priorities when running for president and led a push by the Democratic Party for the repeal of Prohibition in 1932.
Fortunately for all of us, on December 5, 1933 Congress passed the 21st Amendment which repealed the 18th Amendment allowing beer, wine and spirits to legally flow once again!
December 5, 2008 is the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition.
This is a day to celebrate the 75 years of contributions beer has made to the U.S culture and economy since Prohibition has been repealed.
Some of the many significant contributions by U.S .breweries and craft brewers include:
- Over 1.4% of our Gross Domestic Product comes from the beer industry (see BeerServesAmerica.org).
- America is a beer nation first over wine and spirits, and in fact U.S. beer sales surpass that of both wine and spirits combined:
Sales in 2007 (Adams Beverage Group)
- $97.975 Billion Beer
- $62.610 Billion Spirits
- $28.135 Billion Wine
- Note: $5.74 Billion sales from craft brewers, Brewers Association Statistics
- U.S. craft brewers are amazing community citizens. In 2007, they donated over $20 million dollars to charitable causes.
- The U.S. is known for making world class beer, and our independent craft brewers are known for their creativity and innovation.
- The average American lives within 10 miles of a brewery, and supporting your local brewery has become an easy way to lower a beer’s footprint, and lessen the greenhouse gases caused by shipping beer long distances.
- U.S. Craft brewers are known for promoting responsible appreciation of their products. (See Savor the Flavor Responsibly.)
Dates in Beer History
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1800s |
Over 1,500 breweries exist across the United States. |
| January 16, 1919 |
The 18th Amendment is ratified and National Prohibition is implemented. |
| April 7, 1933 |
The modification of the Volstead Act allows beer to be sold once again. The modification changed the allowed alcohol percentage of a beverage from .05 to 3.2 allowing beer to be served once again. Over 1.5 million barrels of beer was consumed during the first 24-hours after the modification of the Act. |
| December 5, 1933 |
The Twenty First Amendment is ratified. Only half of the U.S. Breweries survive Prohibition. |
| 1978 |
Only 42 brewing companies exist in the United States due to consolidation. |
| October 14, 1978 |
President Jimmy Carter signs a bill that removes the restrictions on Homebrewers. This allowed beer to be made in small quantities at home and allowed many of the craft brewers of today to get their start. |
| September 1982 |
First ever Great American Beer Festivalsm held in Boulder, Colorado. |
| April 1996 |
World Beer Cup® makes its debut in Vail, Colorado. |
| 2006 |
109th Congress, 2nd Session passes House Resolution 753 commemorating American Craft Brewers for providing jobs, improving balance of trade, supporting American Agriculture, and more. The resolution also supported the establishment of ‘American Craft Beer Week’. |
| April 2008 |
1463 breweries are reported operating in the United States by the Brewers Association and 1420 of these are considered craft brewers (smaller, independent, traditional brewers) |
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