Here's How Much Alcohol Americans Consumed Right Before (And After) Prohibition

Americans are living in a time of serious political upheaval. Our modern happenings feel unique, but historians could argue that there has never been in a time in American history that wasn't tumultuous, difficult, or volatile. There has, however, only been one period in American history where the average citizen could not take the edge off of their tough times with a sip of something cold or strong: Prohibition.

From 1919 to 1933, a constitutional amendment existed that prohibited the creation, shipment, and sale of intoxicating beverages across the U.S. Enforced by the Volstead Act, the policy of Prohibition was intended to help ween Americans off the bottle in favor of temperance. Opinions about outlawing aside, the justification for ratifying the 18th amendment did have some legs. Prior to Prohibition, Americans of age were drinking like fishes. In the three years before Prohibition, the average person consumed just shy of 22 gallons of beer per year, just over one-and-a-half gallons of spirits, and a bit under one gallon of wine. That is a lot of booze!

Despite there being legal ways to get alcohol during Prohibition (along with the numerous black market options), by the time the era ended in 1933, American consumption had been cut. The average person in 1934 drank just over 13.5 gallons of beer and was well below a gallon of spirits or wine. There certainly were some negative impacts of Prohibition, but overall, it did net a slow-down in the consumption of alcohol across the country. At least, for a time. By 1981, the average American was drinking 36.7 gallons of beer a year.

Alcohol consumption decreased during Prohibition, but it was far from nullified by the amendment, as can be anecdotally derived from the abundance of Prohibition-era cocktails that bartenders still mimic today. Alls to say, America has never stopped drinking.

1981 was a peak year for beer drinkers. Although consumption of wine grew slightly in the following years, for the most part, American alcohol consumption has been on the decline since then. There are plenty of reasons for this slide. A large percentage of it is attributable to our growing concern for our health. According to a Gallup report from 2025, 53% of surveyed Americans view drinking alcohol as a poor health choice overall. That number is the height of a trend that has been growing for several years, along with the increasing chorus of experts who support the idea that drinking less is a healthier choice.

We may be drinking a lesser volume of alcohol, but that doesn't mean that Americans have stopped their use of once-prohibited substances. Younger generations, such as Gen Z, have generally turned away from alcohol but continue to embrace things like marijuana and psychedelics, the health concerns of which still need vetting through long-term research and study.