What do Utah and Prohibition have in common? Repeal Day, December 5

The critically acclaimed HBO series, “Boardwalk Empire” follows the tribulations of gangsters active at the beginning of Prohibition (circa 1920).  Most Americans, including Utahans, “know” that it’s hard to get a drink in Utah, but are unaware of this state’s major contribution to cocktail culture in America: Repeal Day, December 5, 1933.  Prohibition is a good topic for the study of unintended consequences.  While the intent was to achieve worthy goals like less alcohol abuse and less abuse of women and children, and Prohibition did make some progress on these goals, it also contributed to the growth of organized crime and decreased respect for the law and the government.  Legend has it that one of Prohibitions positive contributions (perhaps the only lasting one) was an increased interest in cocktails and in cocktail recipes, mostly due to the poor quality of the booze that was available.  Ultimately, though, people came to believe that the bad outweighed the good and a movement to repeal prohibition gathered steam.  Repeal was a plank in the Democratic Party platform in 1932, and FDR promised to support repeal in his campaign.

Because Prohibition was implemented via constitutional amendment (the 18^th), it could only be repealed via constitutional amendment (the 21^st).  The 21^st amendment was proposed by congress in February, 1933, and sent to the states for ratification.  Three quarters of the states had to ratify within seven years for the amendment to pass, but the deed was done in less than one.  Most constitutional amendments are ratified by state legislatures, but the 21^st was to be ratified by state constitutional conventions.  This anomaly may be the reason why, over the objections of the LDS Church, which pointed out some of the good things prohibition had accomplished, on December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36^th state (and the third state that day, thanks to being located in the Mountain time zone) to ratify the 21^st Amendment, thus repealing prohibition.  So when you celebrate Repeal Day (you will, won’t you?), be sure to raise your cocktail glass in the direction of Utah (if you’re not already there) and drink a toast to the state that brought the Repeal of Prohibition to all America.

Noted cocktailian Jeffrey Morgenthaler has begun a movement to make Repeal Day a holiday, and why not? It is a happy day in American history, and it’s always nice to have a reason to celebrate.  Note: links have been provided to all sources used for this article.