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National Beer Day isn’t random, it marks FDR’s economic gamble

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National Beer Day isn’t random, it marks FDR’s economic gamble


The United States celebrates National Beer Day on Monday. While you may think this is just another arbitrarily made-up holiday, April 7 commemorates one of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s earliest and most successful New Deal policies combating the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Roosevelt promised “bold, persistent experimentation” and he followed through on that pledge. Shortly after his inauguration, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare beer nonintoxicating. Yes, that’s right. For the prior 13 years, the 18th Amendment prohibited the production and sale of “intoxicating liquors,” which Congress defined as anything above 0.5% alcohol by volume.

Roosevelt’s rationale for legalizing beer wasn’t to let depressed citizens drown their sorrows. Rather, with 14 million people out of work, he hoped that beer’s return would create jobs tied to its production, distribution, service, and consumption. Congress took quick action and set 12:01 a.m. April 7, 1933, as the moment that beer up to 4% by volume, which is in the vicinity of most light beers today, would be permitted. 

April 7 was like Mardi Gras, the Fourth of July and 10 New Year’s Eves rolled into one. In Chicago, the sounds of whistles, bells, horns, and other noisemaking devices commenced at the “beero hour,” and they continued to fill the Loop deep into the morning. The line at the bar of Berghoff’s German Restaurant was consistently eight deep — dimes were passed forward while steins were passed back.

Further north, every one of Milwaukee’s taverns, tap rooms, bars, and cafes overflowed to the curb as people climbed onto parked cars and serenaded one another with drinking songs.

Out west, thousands cheered as actress Jean Harlow broke a beer bottle across the first in a line of more than 500 delivery trucks leaving the Los Angeles Brewing Company at 12:01 a.m. To the east, the Acme beer garden on New York’s 3rd Avenue sold 1,650 gallons of beer in six hours, and similar scenes played out on nearly every block of Manhattan.

The buzz became noticeable across the U.S. economy. As though a switch had been flipped, the nation kicked into a production and job-creation gear not seen before nor since. Over the next four months, manufacturing output jumped 78%. Durable goods, such as automobiles and heavy equipment, surged nearly 200%, and the stock market leaped 71%.

Most remarkably, 4 million unemployed people went back to work. Much of Roosevelt’s mystique, which lives on to this day, can be attributed to the economic miracle — there is no other way to describe it — that took place in the spring of 1933.

Beer’s return contributed mightily to this turnaround. Hundreds of long-defunct breweries began major rehabilitations, hiring construction workers and purchasing new trucks, kegs, kettles, and refrigeration equipment. Restaurants, taverns, bars, and bottle shops took on new employees, as did firms in scores of other industries, from bottle-making to pretzels, that were tied to beer. The revival of the brewing industry is estimated to have created around half a million new jobs.

Perhaps more significant was the psychological lift that beer’s return provided. The “New Beer’s Eve” celebrations of April 7 were like an economic baptism, washing away the stain of the Great Depression. Newspapers showed countless pictures of smiling faces raising a pint, and featured headlines such as “Beer Boom Brings Jobs,” “Jingle of Coins with Gurgle of Legalized Beer,” and “Trade Swells on Beer Crest.”

ANHEUSER-BUSCH AND COMCAST AMONG COMPANIES ENDING PRIDE MONTH SPONSORSHIPS

Roosevelt’s 1932 campaign song, “Happy Days Are Here Again,” was joyfully repurposed as “Happy Days Are Beer Again.” The economy turned the corner from the pit of the Great Depression, and beer played a major role in this recovery.

April 7, National Beer Day, is truly a day worth celebrating. Cheers!

Jason E. Taylor is a professor of economics at Central Michigan University and a member of the Board of Scholars at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. His new book is The Brew Deal: How Beer Helped Battle the Great Depression (Palgrave Macmillan).



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Trent Alexander-Arnold: Curtis Jones pays tribute to Liverpool team-mate

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Trent Alexander-Arnold: Curtis Jones pays tribute to Liverpool team-mate

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones pays tribute to his departing team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold following the Reds final game of the season a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Anfield.

MATCH REPORT: Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace

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Football gossip: Garnacho, Mitoma, Gyokeres, Martinez, Raya, Mason

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Football gossip: Garnacho, Mitoma, Gyokeres, Martinez, Raya, Mason

Napoli want to sign Alejandro Garnacho after missing out on the Argentine in January, Arsenal join Bayern Munich in the pursuit of Kaoru Mitoma, Viktor Gyokeres will leave Sporting this summer.

Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna is set to meet with Manchester United over a possible deal for 20-year-old Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, who was the subject of a rejected £40m bid from the Italian champions in January. (i paper), external

Arsenal have joined Bayern Munich in the race to sign Brighton‘s 28-year-old Japan midfielder Kaoru Mitoma. (Sky Germany), external

Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres will leave Sporting this summer. The 26-year-old is linked with Arsenal and Chelsea and has an agreement with the Portuguese club to allow him to leave for less than his £84m release clause. (Sky Sports), external

Arsenal want Aston Villa‘s Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, to return to the club amid interest from Real Madrid in their 29-year-old Spain shot-stopper David Raya. (Sun), external

Tottenham assistant manager Ryan Mason is the leading candidate to become West Brom boss. (Talksport), external

Leicester City have made a bid to sign 18-year-old Guinean forward Abdoul Karim Traore from French club Bourg-en-Bresse. (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Arsenal want Ghana defensive midfielder Thomas Partey to remain with the club beyond his current deal, which expires in the summer, despite being linked with Real Sociedad’s 26-year-old Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi. (football.london), external

Napoli have offered 33-year-old Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne a £23m salary over a three-year deal following his departure from Manchester City this summer. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has confirmed the club’s interest in De Bruyne. (II Mattino, via Mirror), external

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has held talks with AC Milan winger Rafael Leao, 25, in a bid to persuade him to move to Emirates Stadium this summer. (TeamTalk), external

Norwich City have approached Bristol City manager Liam Manning over potentially taking charge at Carrow Road next season. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Arsenal have made an offer to sign 21-year-old RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

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Ruud van Nistelrooy: Leicester manager says ‘no talks’ yet on future

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Ruud van Nistelrooy: Leicester manager says 'no talks' yet on future

Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy says he has not yet had any talks with the club about his future but that they “need to happen”.

The Dutchman signed a contract until June 2027 and is understood to want to remain in charge of the Foxes, but reports say former Southampton boss Russell Martin is a contender to take his job.

Already relegated Leicester bowed out of the Premier League on Sunday with a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

The Leicester boss said he “hopes to speak” with the club about his future following relegation to the Championship.

“I would like to talk and that’s the first thing that needs to happen,” he told BBC Match of the Day.

“It’s been silent and it’s something towards the end of the season, get things done with and then I expect to hear something.”

Leicester finished the season in 18th place, 13 points adrift of safety, and were relegated in April.

He added: “It’s important to start talking and to see how we look into the future. It’s what you need to find out. So far there hasn’t been any conversation but I’m waiting for that to happen.”

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