December 5, 2008, marks 75 years since Prohibition was officially repealed in the United States with the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution.

On December 5, 1933, a ¾ majority of states needed to ratify the 21st Amendment was reached when Utah adopted the 21st Amendment. The 21st Amendment not only officially ended national Prohibition which began with the 18th Amendment in 1919; the 21st Amendment also established the effective, state-based system of alcohol regulation that today works to efficiently provide American consumers with an unparalleled choice and variety of beer.

A ‘one size fits all’ approach to alcohol regulation during Prohibition was a failure. The 21st Amendment allows individual states to regulate alcohol as their citizens see fit. Today, American consumers of legal drinking age have access to nearly 13,000 labels of beer from small regional microbrews to the largest multinational labels – all delivered through a transparent and accountable alcohol distribution system. The American system of alcohol distribution tracks products from the time they leave the brewer or importer until the time it reaches a licensed retailer like a grocery store, restaurant, bar or convenience store.