On this day in 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition and empowered each state with the authority to regulate its own beverage alcohol industry in partnership with the federal government. This system has been a model of success for more than eight decades by offering unparalleled consumer choice, efficient tax collection, and guaranteed product integrity.
“The legacy of the 21st Amendment is 85 years of safely and efficiently regulating beverage alcohol in America,” said WSWA President and CEO Michelle Korsmo. “The regulatory three-tier system of suppliers, distributors, and retailers is one we take for granted today. The anniversary of Repeal Day is an occasion to appreciate the United States created a regulatory system for alcohol that has a record of safety, accountability and quality that is unmatched anywhere else.”
“The wine and spirits industry in the U.S. guards against dangerous counterfeit products frequently seen in other countries, generates $50 billion annually in tax revenue, and creates more than two million American jobs. This record of success is a direct result of the system enacted in the wake of the 21st Amendment and serves as a model for the world,” Korsmo added.
Wine and spirits wholesalers are a central link in the modern three-tier system, employing 74,000 Americans who cumulatively earn more than $6.5 billion in wages annually. To learn more about the impact of wholesalers and the wine and spirits industry, click here.
WSWA is the national trade association representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of wholesalers, distributors and brokers of wine and spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has more than 370 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the U.S. Visit www.wswa.org to learn more.