Hollywood, MD – A great chapter in American History was written on this day 83 years ago. If you can imagine growing up without watching beer ads on television, singing beer ad jingles, going to keg parties, hearing the cry of the beer vendor at the ballpark and enjoying culinary favorites like beer can chicken and Welsh Rarebit, if you would rather drink soda or milk while eating your steamed hard shell crabs then perhaps you can fathom a beer-less nation. It’s just not the same America, right?
The fact is, however, for 13 years Americans were breaking the law by drinking beer. All that changed April 7, 1933 when a bill Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law 18 days into his presidency took effect. The measure—the Cullen – Harrison Act—allowed Americans to buy, sell and drink beer containing up to 3.2 percent alcohol. The law was effective in states that had enacted measures to allow for such sales.
According to historians’ accounts, people gathered at breweries nationwide on the night of April 6, 1933 to celebrate “New Beer’s Eve.”
There was much revelry the following day. “I think this would be a good time for a beer,” FDR was quoted as saying.
If you have no recollection of celebrating National Beer Day when you were growing up, that might be because it wasn’t until 2009 that an official day marking the occasion was created by two beer-lovers.
In 2015, an article in Money Magazine cited eight reasons “to love beer on National Beer Day.” Reason number one is “It’s good for the economy.” The article gives credit to America’s many beer crafters for reason number two—the variety and quality of American-brewed beer has never been better. There are thousands of beer crafters in the nation and their ranks seem to grow every day. Other reasons include beer’s affordability—especially on National Beer Day. Also to be saluted are America’s 1 million homebrewers, who produce 2 million barrels annually.
Additionally, Money indicated beer appears to be a venture where the “underdog” actually has a fighting chance to surpass the corporate big dogs. That’s something worth drinking a toast to.
So, raise your glasses, let the cold beer flow and enjoy. Please, however, drink responsibly. And if you still don’t like beer please consider giving a ride home today to everyone who does.
Read a story from The BayNet posted earlier this year about one of the region’s beer brewers http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0116/ifyoulikebeeryouareinluck.html
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com