The CCC and Beer! (Warning: History Lesson Follows)

In the early months of 1933, immediately after his inauguration as president, Franklin D. Roosevelt set about creating a number of government programs and policies to try to help jump start the economy. The first 100 days of FDR's first term as president have become the standard by which all other administrations have been measured.

For my money the two most important things FDR did in those first 100 days of 1933 were the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was signed into law on March 31, 1933 and the legalization of beer...the date of which escapes me at the moment so you'll just have to trust me that it occurred as part of the first 100 days. The Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC) went on to provide worthwhile work training and simple employment for some 3 million young men between 1933 and 1942 when it was abolished shortly after the dastardly attack on Pearl Harbor.

The legalization of beer, a minor reversal of prohibition, allowed Americans to spend a bit of their spare pocket change (and there was damned little of that in 1933) on a cold brew from time to time. The purpose being to get those bits of spare change to circulate through the economy. Remember that part of the problem during the Great Depression was that people were keeping a tight hold on their money. Legalizing beer gave some of the less timid a good excuse to spend a little. In turn, a whole industry geared up to meet the pent up demand and breweries around the nation began brewing (and hiring) again.


So, in honor of the birthday of the CCC and the anniversary of the legalization of beer by FDR in 1933, I present you with a link to Independence Brewing where they advertise Bootlegger Brown Ale a brew that is based on a recipe or concept adapted from a grandfather's favored home brew. As luck would have it, their granddad also served in the CCC in Texas.

http://www.independencebrewing.com/beer/bootlegger.html

This is the only beer I've managed to find that can claim a direct link to the Civilian Conservation Corps. I hope to one day actually sample some.

I like it when everything comes full circle.