The Eighteenth Amendment went into effect on January 16, 1920, turning the once wet nation into a land of temperance. Although speakeasies and organized crime provided opportunities for the populace to continue their drinking habits, the per capita consumption of alcohol drastically dropped during the 13 years of Prohibition. Breweries and bars, forced out of alcohol production, turned to different industries that could help them outlast the ban. Coors expanded its pottery business, Pabst Blue Ribbon made cheese, and Yuengling and Anheuser-Busch made ice cream.
Frank D. Yuengling’s creation of the Yuengling’s Ice Cream Corporation was not just a method to keep his business afloat during Prohibition—it was a smart business move. Ice cream had been gaining widespread popularity in the United States since the late 19th century with the introduction of the ice cream soda, sundae, and cone. Advancements in refrigeration techniques also allowed for more businesses to sell ice cream. After the Volstead Act went into effect, the Brewers’ Board of Trade routinely received inquiries from ice cream parlors to buy the equipment and facilities from now-prohibited liquor businesses. With the absence of alcohol, converting bars to soda fountains and ice cream parlors satisfied Americans’ need for a luxury treat.
The rise in ice cream fever was recognized across the United States. Between 1916 and 1925, ice cream consumption increased by 55 percent, whereas the population only increased about 15 percent. In a letter to the US State Department ahead of the 16th International Congress against Alcoholism, Walter C. Hughes, secretary of the National Confectioners’ Association, wrote that ice cream makers had “drawn greater proportionate profits out of the dry edict,” because consumers had more money to spend on comfort foods. By 1922, there were over 100,000 soda fountains in the United States earning about $1 billion, with ice cream being the most popular dish sold. The annual supply of ice cream for New Yorkers alone reached 300 million gallons. Confectionary and butter factories, recognizing its popularity, started to produce ice cream as a byproduct and manufactured more than $32 million worth of product in 1921. Ice cream was also promoted for its purported health benefits with newspapers claiming, “Ice cream is something of which most children can never get enough, and dietitians say that few foods are better for building strong and healthy bodies.” Prohibition had increased its consumption a thousand fold.