Alcohol and Drinking History in America: A Chronology

The Great Depression

Post-1933.

• The three tier system was established in the U.S. It required that alcohol producers sell only to licensed wholesalers, who could only sell to licensed retailers and ownership had to be kept separate between all three tiers. Therefore, no one could be both a producer and a wholesaler, a producer and a retailer, or a wholesaler and a retailer.¹
• Following the repeal of National Prohibition in the U.S. in 1933: “Home consumption [of beer] was further facilitated with the arrival of the aluminum beer can in 1934 and the spread of home refrigerators beginning during the 1930s.” ² After Repeal, “...drinking returned to the home and surfaced in the new cocktail lounge, in both of which women’s drinking was more acceptable than in the old-time saloon.”³
• Following the repeal of National Prohibition in the U.S. those states that maintained state prohibition (Kansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi) had significantly more alcoholism than other states.⁴

1934.

• The Wine Institute was established by California vintners.⁵
• Federal laws that established Prohibition in the District of Columbia and U.S. territories were repealed:
  • District of Columbia - April 5, 1933 and January 24, 1934
  • Puerto Rico - March 2, 1934
  • Virgin Islands - March 2, 1934
  • Hawaii - March 26, 1934
  • Panama Canal Zone - June 19, 1934 ⁶

• Although Prohibition was repealed at the national level, 18 states maintained prohibition and about two-thirds of all states provided for local option whereby residents of counties and other political subdivisions could vote on the issue. Therefore, even after Repeal, 38% of the nation’s population continued to live in dry areas.⁷

1935.

• Beer was first sold in cans in the U.S.in 1935.⁸
• Alcoholics Anonymous was established.⁹
• The Shadel Sanitarium began the use of aversive conditioning to treat addiction. Later re-named Schick Shadel Hospital, it continues to use aversive conditioning today.¹⁰

1936.

• The Federal Alcohol Administration Act was enacted, enabling the U.S. federal government to regulate alcoholic beverages. ¹¹
• The U.S. Supreme Court, in State Board of Equalization v. Young's Market Co., interpreted the Twenty-First Amendment as giving states an absolute exception to the Commerce Clause in the control and regulation of alcoholic beverages.¹²
• The Pennsylvania tax on wine and distilled spirits is known as the Jamestown Flood tax because it was passed to raise revenue to help the city of Jamestown rebuild following a devastating flood. The city rebuilt quickly but the tax continues to this day and costs taxpayers over $160,000,000.00 yearly.¹³

1937. “The president of the World Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (World WCTU), Ella Boole, praised Adolph Hitler because he gave the beverage concession at last summer's Olympic Village to the Deutscher Frauenbund der Abstinenz (Nazi WCTU), is a total abstainer, [and] supports restaurants which serve no beer."¹⁴

1939-1945. Although British and French allied soldiers were given generous alcohol rations, American soldiers were expected to be abstainers.15

1939.

• Alcoholics Anonymous published its book, Alcoholics Anonymous, which quickly became known as The Big Book.¹⁶
• In Ziffrin, Inc. v. Reeves the U.S.Supreme Court reaffirmed its interpreted of the Twenty-first Amendment as giving states an absolute exception to the Commerce Clause in the control and regulation of alcoholic beverages.¹⁷
• Vodka was virtually unknown in the U.S. and The Gentleman’s Companion indicated that it was unnecessary to have it in any but a large bar.¹⁸