After 13 years of Prohibition, Americans could once again legally enjoy beer. Though the failed experiment in prohibition would linger until its full repeal on December 5, the passage of the Cullen-Harrison Act offered some long-awaited relief — permitting beer of up to 3.2% alcohol by weight (about 4% by volume), the so-called “near beer.”
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the measure on March 22, 1933, he reportedly quipped, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” It was a simple remark, but one that perfectly captured the mood of a thirsty nation ready to raise a glass again.
On the evening of April 6, crowds gathered outside bars and taverns across the country, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. When it did, beer flowed legally for the first time in over a decade. That night would later earn its own name: “New Beer’s Eve.”
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| Photo by https://www.anheuser-busch.com/about/clydesdale |
The celebrations took many forms, including one that would become iconic. To mark the moment, a six-horse hitch of the now-famous Budweiser Clydesdales was presented to August A. Busch Sr. by his sons. Soon after, the team made a public appearance delivering beer to the White House — a fitting tribute to the return of a simple pleasure.
Today, April 7 is celebrated as “National Beer Day.” It’s a nod not just to beer and its long-awaited return, but a reminder that freedom, once taken, is seldom restored without time, patience, and persistence.
Cheers!
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