75th Anniversary of Prohibition to be celebrated in Cincinnati

In 1932, the Democratic Party's platform included a plank for the repeal of Prohibition, and Democrat Franklin Roosevelt ran for President of the United States promising repeal of federal laws of Prohibition ushered in by the hated 1919 Volstead Act. By then, an estimated 75% of American voters, and an estimated forty-six states, favored repeal.(See ***Carroll v US Govt)

On 20 February 1933, Congress adopted, by more than the required two‐thirds, an amendment resolution repealing Amendment XVIII and it officially ended at midnight April 6, 1933 . In 1933, the state conventions ratified the XXI Amendment, which repealed Amendment XVIII (The only constitutional amendment ratified by the electorate rather than legislators) and prohibited only the violations of laws that individual states had in regard to "intoxicating liquors". Federal Prohibitionary laws were then repealed.

It took until 1966, for all States to fully repealed their state-level Prohibition laws, the last was Mississippi ... today there are about 18 million Americans living in the hundreds of counties across the United States that maintain Prohibition.

Cincinnati's Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. has therefore decided to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 with a strong dark lager, that they are christening Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock

Hardman noted that Prohibition wiped out scores of beer-related businesses in Over-the-Rhine, a district situated between Downtown and Clifton Heights. At the time this was a thriving commercial and residential district packed with German immigrants. prohibition helped trigger the neighborhood's long decline ...only recently being reversed.

The Emancipator label (no pic available yet) by Cincinnati artist Jim Effler features a newspaper headline heralding Prohibition's end, incorporated into a celebratory Over-the-Rhine street scene with a Moerlein beer wagon pulled by two goats. The goats are a tip to the upcoming bock beer season and the area's annual Bockfest carnival in early March.

Moerlien' have re-vamped their previous Doppelbock seasonal beer, with a blend of six malts and a slightly lower alcohol content, down from 7.9 percent 7 percent (!!!!). CEO Greg Hardman said he's also hoping to bring back Hudy Bock for Bockfest again this year, although a severe global hops shortage is complicating the task.

Lord Patel has been invited by Greg to the first tapping of Moerlein Emancipator which will be staged at the Pavilion in Mount Adams on Jan. 31. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit, community volunteer group Give Back Cincinnati.
To enter the brewers website you need to be over 21 and have to enter your DOB to prove that you are.

Bill Covaleski Brewmeister & President of Victory Brewery Downingtown, PA founded 1996 , tells us that they are also celebrating (as they do every year) with their Throwback Lager (a disappointing 5.4%) on April 6th - outlets will toast Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at 9.00 pm. They have some smart celebratory screen savers to down load as well, and T shirts - see pic.

***Carroll v US Gov. is in modern terms an in terestig by-product as the Supreme Court (267 U.S. 132 (1925), argued 4 Dec. 1923, rescheduled 28 Jan. 1924, reargued 14 Mar. 1924, decided 2 Mar. 1925 by vote of 6 to 2) allowed a search of a motor vehicle without a warrant - which has resonances with Dubya's prediliction to listen in to phone calls, Internet buzz of US citizens without a warrant today.