Vine Social: On Dec. 5, raise a glass to celebrate National Repeal Day

Dec 15, 2023

In December, there is a little-known date that needs some attention. No, this isn't a sarcastic reference to Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanza. I’m very sincerely talking about Dec. 5—National Repeal Day, the anniversary of the day when the American ban on alcohol was lifted.

Can I get a hooray?!

On Jan. 16, 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified, officially criminalizing the creation, sale and consumption of alcohol as of one year later. Fueled by the belief that outlawing alcohol would ostensibly end poverty, crime, mental illness and—most importantly—the act of getting drunk, the amendment came to be. Thus, the country was now "saved."

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As we know, the exact opposite thing happened: Americans’ thirst for alcohol only intensified. Bootleggers like Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Johnny Torrio and, of course, the infamous Al Capone made millions distributing any kind of bathtub concoction they could get their hands on. It's been said that tens of thousands of people died from the industrial alcohols, wood alcohols and cleaning products that were boiled down and mixed with God-knows-what to simply make it palatable.

As organized crime increased, so did civil delinquency, and a lack of respect for the law grew as citizens became more and more resentful toward the government. But what's more, as Prohibition strangled this country for 13 years, Americans lost legitimate conviviality. There were no public gatherings in communal celebration over a glass of wine, a pint of beer or a whiskey on the rocks. Prohibition wiped away the progress this relatively young country had made with the art of fermentation. The careful and thoughtful practices of distillation using quality ingredients was gone. Traditions surrounding the art of brewing were demonized, and family saloons and taverns were vandalized, or even burned down.

Unemployment was skyrocketing; tax revenue was dropping; organized crime had become increasingly more brutal and violent. Then the stock market crashed. This was not the world the teetotalers had envisioned, and support for the pro-dry movement was fading.

Finally, on Dec. 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified when Utah (of all places) voted to repeal Prohibition, giving the country the much-needed three-quarters majority for Congress to turn the proverbial spigots back on.

Life in this country had been forever changed because of Prohibition. But not all of it was bad—some good that came from this dark time, too.

Because of the speakeasies, it became acceptable for women to be in a bar with men. Up until the Roaring ’20s, bars were considered rowdy and dirty places, reserved for men only. Only women of ill repute were supposedly seen in a tavern or saloon. The speakeasies made it possible for girls to knock one back with the boys, out of sight from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. In addition to women simply being allowed in, these underground clubs and boozy hideaways ended the era of chaperoned courtship and led to (gasp!) casual dating. Young ladies no longer needed to be accompanied by a protective parent and could meet their dreamboat freely at the secret watering hole.

It was during this same time that women got the right to vote—ironically, due in part to their involvement with and support of the 18th Amendment: Women were now a persuasive voice in the political arena. The 19th Amendment was ratified, and women were empowered for the first time to have jobs, earn money and become decision-makers in their homes.

Because of the speakeasies, it became acceptable for women to be in a bar with men. Up until the Roaring ’20s, bars were considered rowdy and dirty places, reserved for men only.

The jazz age was born during Prohibition and launched the careers of some of the greatest musicians of all-time. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Earl Hines (just to name a few) were in high demand at the illicit underground clubs and speakeasies, and their place in history made jazz a bona fide American music genre. The popularity of jazz music caused white kids to venture away from their segregated neighborhoods and head to the predominately Black districts to listen to the "pop music" of their generation. Even though segregation was the rule, the era saw the rise in "Black and tan" clubs, where it was normal to see interracial socializing, dancing and mingling.

This Dec. 5 marks the 89th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition and commemorates the only time in history where one constitutional amendment abolished another. But what truly makes this day holiday-worthy is who it celebrates: the vineyard workers picking the grapes in the middle of the night. The brewmasters developing new craft beers from unique ingredients. Distillers striving for the cleanest, purest spirits they can create. Winemakers, bartenders, sommeliers, cicerones and you—the people who savor and enjoy the fruits of the labor that make these beverages possible.

On Monday, Dec. 5, pop into the local pub, tasting room or bar. Raise a glass to the patrons, and have a toast. Maybe even buy someone a drink. Grab a bottle of wine or some beer on the way home from work—if for no other reason than to celebrate the fact that you can.

Cheers!

Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with two decades in the wine industry. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Katie Finn drinks wine for a living. As a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and as a Certified Specialist of Wine, she has dedicated her career to wine education and sharing her... More by Katie Finn