# sacramental wine during phobitition

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 7, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186 "2005-10-07T14:12:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/1 "2005-10-07T14:12:29Z")

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Was there a loop hole in either law or the amendment for religious inbibing during the Prohibition era? ;j

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**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/2 "2005-10-07T14:15:25Z")

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[Yes.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/maltarwine.html)

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/3 "2005-10-07T14:18:23Z")

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> [@Airman Doors](#):
>
> [Yes.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/maltarwine.html)

thanks. it also mentions "There were, of course, legitimate, medicinal purposes for whiskey. But doctors reportedly earned an estimated $40 million in 1928 by writing prescriptions for whiskey during Prohibition. "

what medical uses might there have been (or believed to be)?

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**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/4 "2005-10-07T14:23:45Z")

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Alcohol is a vasodilator, a solvent, and a disinfectant, among other things. Remember, Prohibition was from 1919 to 1933, things were a bit more primitive than they are now.

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**Author:** ![Level3Navigator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Level3Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Level3Navigator)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/5 "2005-10-07T14:24:16Z")

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> [@drhess](#):
>
> thanks. it also mentions "There were, of course, legitimate, medicinal purposes for whiskey. But doctors reportedly earned an estimated $40 million in 1928 by writing prescriptions for whiskey during Prohibition. "
> 
> what medical uses might there have been (or believed to be)?

Pre-operative use by the surgeon for a case of nerves?

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/6 "2005-10-07T14:42:44Z")

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Whiskey also serves as an excellent de-inhibitor for those couples attempting reproduction. 😃

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/7 "2005-10-07T14:46:33Z")

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If you on tours of the wineries that were around at the time (the Barry Winery in Upstate New York was one), they’ll tell you how they made sacramental wine during Prohibition, along with grape juice and grapes for jellies and jams. But they were also ready with a stock of wine to open right after repeal.

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**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacramental-wine-during-phobitition/325186/8 "2005-10-07T16:23:54Z")

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> [@drhess](#):
>
> what medical uses might there have been (or believed to be)?

In the early 1900s alcohol was prescribed for “nervous maladies”. I collect medical historic “stuff” and have a couple of prohibition era prescriptions for alcohol.