Saturday night is the 75th Annual New Beers Eve, a celebration of the repeal of prohibition when beer drinkers made the switch from low-alcohol content "near beer" to higher alcohol content beverages. When you're raising your glasses, it's FDR you should be toasting.
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The days of Prohibition may be 80 years gone, but on April 6 beer drinkers everywhere raise their glasses as if the stuff inside it were just about to be legalized. New Beers Eve celebrates the end of Prohibition, a 14-year period of American history marked by speakeasies, alcohol smugglers, and all around contraband of booze.
For all of you history buffs out there, a little background on this beer drinkers’ holiday: When FDR was running for president, one of his promises was to pass the Cullen-Harrison Act–a repeal of the Volstead Act–which allowed the sale of low-alcohol wine and beer. FDR came through on his promise in early 1933 and on April 7 at 12:01 a.m., wine drinkers and beer lovers alike raised toasts of booze with 3.2% alcohol content instead of the previous 0.5%.
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Cullen-Harrison was just the pre-cursor, of course. The 21st Amendment was ratified in Decemeber 1933 and full-strength beer and alcohol once again flowed freely.
So here’s to you, Mr. President. Cheers.














