By Abe Geyer

On January 16, 1920, one of America’s favorite pastimes, beer drinking, came to a halt. It remained that way for thirteen years. Then, on April 7, 1933, the 18th amendment was repealed, and prohibition was over.

After thirteen years of being deprived of the good stuff, real beer was coming back.

Sixty-nine years ago, the 18th amendment (prohibition) was repealed, and beer with 3.2% alcohol by volume was allowed to be sold again.

Excitement ran high as mouths watered at the prospect of guzzling “the real McCoy.” Newspapers and radio hyped the event like you wouldn’t believe–even more than they do the Super bowl today.

I was a young man of 20.
I worked in the shipping room of Edelbrew, a small brewery in Brooklyn. Breweries were permitted to brew the “real” suds three days before they were actually allowed to sell it. Taking advantage of this, our brewery decided to bottle around the clock. The plan was to store the cases wherever we could find a spot-the basement roof, garage, yard, wherever.

Outside, trucks, horses and wagons, pushcarts-any means of transportation-were lining up to buy, and then to resell to homes, groceries, restaurants, clubs, and even candy stores.

Ready? Go!
We started working Thursday, 6 a.m., day and night, Friday, day and night, and Saturday ’til noon-54 hours. My mother came down and brought me a change of socks.

The activity was, to say the least, hectic. Only cash was accepted, which necessitated the hiring of 20 special policemen. We loaded truck after truck, fast and furiously. Some trucks loaded, drove around the corner, sold the beer on the sidewalk, then rushed back and got on line again.

By noon Saturday, we were cleaned out. Not a single bottle remained, and no more could be bottled until that Monday.

We were exhausted but happiness reigned supreme. I worked long and hard, and I too was happy. After all, that week I received a $5.00 bonus in my pay envelope.

Good beer was back! <<

 Abe Geyer is 95 years old. When Edelbrew closed down in the early fifties, Abe was their General Manager.