Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-18
Used to Hard Drinks"

The truth of the matter would seem
to be that the people of prohibition
territories have been educated during
the past few years to the "hard-drlnk
habit This is because bootlegging has
thrived in the hard liquor" trade and
only hard liquor has been within the
financial reach of the average man.
A great deal of beer has been SNUG
gled into the United States from the
really wet provinces of Canada and
good deal more has been turned out
from brewerieS deliberately breaking
the law in this country. But beer is
difficult to handle and the cost has
been all but prohibitive.
The light beer which has been tried
in the province of Ontario has had an
alcoholic content of 2.5 per cent, just
Il of per cent Tighter" than the
brew proposed by the VETS" Of the
United States Senate and House OF
Representatives. The Canadians have
found their 2.5 per cent to be very
much of a f1ivver, as we say in this
country, or very much Of "dud" as
they say in their country. In Canada
the new beer, which has been permit
ted since the end of last May, is known
as A, but that means alcohol by
weight, and is equivalent to 2.5 per
cent by volume, which is the standard
of measurement in the United States.
Some Prefer Tea.
Plenty of Ontario residents can be
exported to Washington to prove by
personal contact and experience that
the 2.5 beer is Notwithstanding. Some
Of the early testers of the fluid drank
as many as 80 bottles in an afternoon
or evening without getting the least
bit mellow. A great many Canadians
thought the brew might improve with
age. In other words. they thought the
alcoholic content might be stepped
up without governmental Interior
epce, but as the A has persisted in
its original form, it has proved to be
anything but the blessing the vets
had been working and hoping for.
After giving the brew rather thor
ough try-out most Canadians frankly
express their preference for a good
cup of tea.
Experts from across the line pre-
dict that the experience of the United
States with 2.75 brew would be
identical with their own. 1t has not
been difficult to show that the bever-
age is Notwithstanding. The beverage
has been palatable enough to palates
which had been fed on "near-beer" Of
less than one-tenth of l per cent. 1t
perhaps has been responsible for a bit
of good fellowship in some OF the tap
rooms of the Ontario cities, but in
every other respect it has been dis
appointing.
Not Enough Kick" to 1t.
In other words, and speaking very
plainly, there has not been sufficient
kick" in the rs Canadian beer to
have warranted the fight made for its
return. The people of Ontario, for
years under absolute prohibition, also
had become accustomed to hard liquor.
Visitors from Detroit, Buffalo and
| other American cities, visiting On
| tario for a whirl at the new beverage,
soon returned to their home towns dis
gusted with the mildness and inef-
fectiveness of the 2.5 variety.
Let's go back to the United States
where we can get something good"
they said
The writer attended the Canadian
| Openings" last May and forecast at
| that time the disappointment which
since has come. Would the United
States be satisfied with what the Ca
nadians have turned down"
copyright. 1929