On the morning of Friday, April 7, 1933, thirsty Placer County citizens awaited their first legal beer from a local, public establishment since Prohibition began in 1920.
Though Prohibition would not be officially repealed until December 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act into law on March 22, 1933, which made the sale of low alcoholic beer and wine legal.
The Act, which specified that beer and wine with an alcohol content of 3.2% by volume could be legally sold, went into effect on April 7, 1933. Businesses that wished to sell beer and wine could do so after paying an annual federal licensing fee of $20.
In Auburn, arrangements were made by a wholesaler, W. F. Jacobs, who chartered a truck to deliver beer from the brewery in San Francisco to local Auburn establishments in time for breakfast.
By law, the truck could not be loaded until 12:01 a.m. Friday morning.
Jacobs told the Auburn Journal that he expected the truck to arrive in Auburn between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. He also warned of shortages during the first few weeks.
Photo: From our Collection, Acme Beer Can, c. 1940 (Acme beer was distributed by W.F. Jacobs)
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