LCV Winter 2013-14 - (Page 55)
On May 14, 1932, "beer parades" were held all over the
country. In New Orleans, more than 10,000 protestors
marched, carrying banners and signs such as "Swat the
Dry," "Drown the Wolf" and "Beer and Liberty," and crying,
"We want beer!" They were joined by Mayor T. Semmes
Walmsley and Joseph Skelly, commissioner of public
property, as well as war hero Bill Kennedy, who rode in a
car with a poster on the side reading, "I gave my legs for my
country; let our country give us our rights." Social and civic
clubs, women's organizations, brewery workers and labor
unions all marched. The mayor, chastised by the anti-saloon
league for his participation, rejoined that under current law
anyone who wanted beer got it, yet the government did not
get any taxes. The event ended with a fireworks display.
COURTESY OF SALLY ASHER
boats blew their foghorns. Train whistles cried. Crowds
of men and women applauded and cheered. Bands
played German drinking songs. Beer was back, and the
city greeted it by consuming 488,000 gallons in a few
short hours. The police reported 18 arrests for
intoxication between noon and midnight (which was
below average). The next day, Good Friday, many
churchgoers with bent heads thanked the Lord for the
return of beer and prayed they would not topple from
their pews. The taps were open, and out flowed an
unstoppable wave that would swamp the temperance
movement.
Less than eight months later, with the ratification of
the Twenty-First Amendment in December 1933,
Prohibition officially ended.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE
After all of the upheaval, the
AGAIN
end came in a "surprisingly
Less than a year later, the
unobtrusive manner" since
AT NOON ON
parades and prayers of beer
many saloons had been
APRIL 13, 1933, BEER
lovers were triumphant.
operating wide-open for weeks
Shortly after President
in anticipation. Many
RETURNED TO NEW
Franklin Roosevelt entered
bartenders blamed the
ORLEANS. ITS CITIZENS
relatively sedate denouement
office, the Cullen-Harrison
WERE READY. THE CITY
on its falling on a Tuesday and
Act was passed, making
complained that the repeal
beer up to 3.2 percent
HALL BEVERAGE
should have happened on a
alcohol content legal again.
DEPARTMENT ISSUED
Saturday to be more lucrative.
Louisiana repealed its own
911 PERMITS TO SELL
But there was still a celebration.
Prohibition law, the Hood
BEER IN ONE WEEK.
Bartenders brushed up on
Act of 1921, two days later.
classic New Orleans drinks to
And at noon on April 13,
return the fine art of mixing to
1933, beer returned to New
Orleans. Its citizens were
its "abstruse science." The
ready. The Beverage
Roosevelt Hotel had the first
Department at City Hall
case of legal whiskey in the city
issued 911 permits to sell
delivered to its front steps. And
beer in one week. Railroads
for the first time in 13 years,
one of the city's leading French
advertised special rates for
restaurants (presumably
residents of dry border
Arnaud's) was able to lower its
towns to come in to
lights to watch the glow of
celebrate. Hotel reservations
flaming brandy on its beloved
surged. Newspapers ran
café brulot. The city, in its
special beer advertising
toasting, drinking and joviality,
sections. Crescent City
was at peace.
Refrigeration advertised its
The story of Prohibition in
new refrigerator that could
New Orleans was much like the
hold at least a dozen bottles
costume of a 1920s Mardi Gras
of beer, stating, "You are
going to need more bottle
reveler. Dressed as a whiskey
Newspapers reported that New Orleanians consumed 488,000
gallons of beer in the first hours of Prohibition's repeal.
space." Maison Blanche
bottle with the wry caption
department store cheered,
"I'm still with you" on the label,
the man danced through the streets, visible, merry,
"Here's to Beer-drink it down, drink it down!" and
perhaps almost defiant. As the rain came, the dye on his
advertised barrel-shaped jugs, pretzel servers and beer
costume trickled amber drops that looked startlingly like
steins. Local grocery stores advertised "REAL BEER" with
the real thing. And as he bobbed through the crowds,
crackers, cheese and meats. Beer was everywhere, including
appearing and disappearing in the mist, people were left
meteorologist Dr. I. M. Cline's weather forecast, which
asking: Was it real? Did this all really happen?
promised that the cool and cloudy weather would not affect
beer drinking-it wouldn't be "ideal beer-drinking
------------------------------
weather," but it would not be "unpleasant for welcoming
Sally Asher has a masters degree in English from Tulane University in New Orleans
and is currently pursuing a masters degree in history. Her book, Hope and New
back the beverage."
Orleans: A History of Crescent City Street Names, will be published by History Press in
Thousands lined the streets to hail beer's return. The
March 2014. She is currently writing a book about the history of a notorious
Times-Picayune described the moment the clock struck noon,
scandalmongering newspaper that operated in late 19th-century New Orleans, The
signaling that the drought was over: "Whoop! Bang!
Mascot. Asher is also the public relations photographer for Tulane. For more
information, see her website, sallyasherarts.com..
Wheeeeeee! Twelve o'clock!" Sirens screamed. Waterfront
Winter 2013-14 * LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 55
http://www.sallyasherarts.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LCV Winter 2013-14
LCV Winter 2013-14
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