New Beers Eve
In the Obscure Holiday Calendar app, New Beers Eve ✨ includes custom visuals, smart reminders, and fast share links.
Overview
New Beer's Eve, observed annually on April 6th, commemorates the eve of the day the Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect in 1933. This landmark legislation, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, legalized the sale of beer with up to 3.2% alcohol by weight, significantly curtailing Prohibition in the United States and providing a much-needed boost to the economy and public morale during the Great Depression, several months before the full repeal of the 18th Amendment.
Origin and story
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, famously remarking, 'I think this would be a good time for a beer.'
The act allowed for the sale of '3.2 beer,' referring to its alcohol content by weight (roughly 4% alcohol by volume).
Quick facts
- DateApril 6
- TypeFood / Dessert
- Great forFoodies, Chocolate lovers, Home bakers
Ways to celebrate
On the night of April 6, 1933, crowds lined up outside breweries and bars across the country, waiting for the stroke of midnight when the Cullen-Harrison Act would make legal beer sales possible for the first time in over a decade — President Roosevelt had signed the bill just weeks earlier with the quip, "I think this would be a good time for a beer."
Toast at the traditional hour
- Raise a glass at midnight on April 6 into April 7, the exact moment 3.2% beer became legal again in 1933 after nearly 13 dry years.
Read about the night it happened
Helpful resources: The Mob Museum, devoted to Prohibition and organized crime history, recounts the countdown to legal beer in "Happy New Beer's Eve!"
Track down a period-accurate brew
- Look for a beer around 3.2% alcohol by weight, the exact strength the Cullen-Harrison Act legalized, to taste roughly what Americans were celebrating with that night.
Did you know?
An estimated 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed on the day the act took effect — a flood of legal beer significant enough that some historians consider it the true end of Prohibition, months before the 18th Amendment was formally repealed that December.
Fun facts
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, famously remarking, 'I think this would be a good time for a beer.'
- The act allowed for the sale of '3.2 beer,' referring to its alcohol content by weight (roughly 4% alcohol by volume).
- On April 7, 1933, the day the act took effect, breweries across the U.S. delivered millions of barrels of beer, prompting widespread public celebrations.
Sources and attribution
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is New Beers Eve?
- It is observed on April 6 each year.
- What is New Beers Eve?
- New Beer's Eve, observed annually on April 6th, commemorates the eve of the day the Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect in 1933. This landmark legislation, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, legalized the sale of beer with up to 3.2% alcohol by weight, significantly curtailing Prohibition in the United States and providing a much-needed boost to the economy and public morale during the Great Depression, several months before the full repeal of the 18th Amendment.
- How do people celebrate New Beers Eve?
- Toast at midnight on April 6 into April 7, the exact moment the Cullen-Harrison Act made 3.2% beer legal again in 1933, and try tracking down a beer around that same strength.
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