The Variety Store in Fairbanks, Alaska, made headlines in December 1931 for selling “natural concentrated grape juice in brick form,” better known as wine bricks, during the Prohibition era. The store’s advertisement caught the attention of locals and became part of the state’s history. Grape bricks were a creative workaround to the ban on alcohol, offering consumers a way to make their own wine at home by dissolving a brick in water and adding sugar. Despite efforts to prevent fermentation, the potential for accidental wine production was always present.
The grape brick market thrived during Prohibition, with various companies offering different flavors and marketing the product as a legal alternative to traditional wine. Grape bricks became popular in Alaska as well, adding to the local lore surrounding alcohol consumption during that time. However, with the passage of the Cullen-Harrison Act in 1933, which legalized beer and wine with lower alcohol content, grape bricks quickly fell out of favor.
The mysterious fire at Vino Sano’s San Francisco factory in 1932 marked the end of an era for wine bricks, with the industry facing a rapid decline after the repeal of the 18th Amendment in 1933. This historic moment was celebrated across Alaska, with the arrival of legal beers and wines from Seattle, ending over 15 years of strict alcohol prohibition. Businesses rushed to place orders, and the first legal beers were welcomed with enthusiasm by the local community.
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