Wine history lesson 7: When drinking alcohol was a good thing
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
Yes, once upon a time, drinking was a good thing
This billboard, from El Paso in 1933, speaks to a time when the argument against Prohibition was more clear cut. The election it notes came as Texas counties voted whether to remain dry after the end of Prohibition.
Most states held similar wet-dry elections after the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, and the arguments then were much the same that they are today. The difference? Everyone who had just endured the previous 14 dry years knew what a failure Prohibition had been, despite its intent — and despite what its apologists claimed.
So the next time someone tells you that it’s a great idea to force the rest of us to stop drinking in moderation, show them this.
A tip o’ the WC’s fedora to John Bratcher, who sent this along from the Texas Reader history newsletter.
More wine history lessons:
• Wine history lesson 6: Was this California fortified wine one of the state’s first post-Prohibition efforts?
• Wine history lesson 5: Big Wine’s forebear — the infamous California Wine Association
• Wine history lesson 4: Those damned high prices