MISSISSIPPI — New Beer’s Eve, observed April 6, commemorates the return of legal beer in 1933 and draws celebrations across Mississippi and the nation on the eve of National Beer Day.
According to NationalToday.com, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ushered in the change that allowed Americans to once again drink, buy and sell alcohol legally. NationalToday.com reports Americans consumed about 1.5 million gallons of beer in the first 24 hours after Prohibition effectively ended, with crowds lining up outside bars and taverns for their first legal drink in nearly 13 years.
Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933 and outlawed the production and sale of alcohol nationwide. Britannica.com says the ban helped create pressure for faster policy change as the nation faced economic hardship during the Great Depression and sought new sources of jobs and tax revenue.
Today New Beer’s Eve is celebrated with tastings, brewery tours and gatherings, DaysOfTheYear.com says. National brands such as Anheuser-Busch, which delivered beer to the White House in 1933 using its Clydesdales, and a growing number of craft breweries join in the observance. Mississippi breweries including Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in Kiln and Southern Prohibition Brewing in Hattiesburg are part of the state’s expanding craft-beer scene.
Beer has ancient roots, with evidence of early barley beer dating to about 3400 B.C., NationalToday.com reports. Health sources cited by NationalToday.com define moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women and up to two for men. For many, New Beer’s Eve is a moment to reflect on history and community while enjoying a shared beverage.
