1920s Roaring Spirits: Shaking Up Gender Roles

Exploring Gender Representation in Alcohol Marketing Across Decades

The Prohibition Era of the 1920s marked a significant shift in gender dynamics regarding alcohol consumption and marketing tactics, primarily in the United States. With the enforcement of Prohibition on January 17, 1920, people didn’t stop drinking—they just got sneakier about it.?

The closure of legal saloons primarily patronized by men led to the rise of speakeasies, clandestine bars where both men and women could indulge in illegal drinking. Unlike the male-dominated atmosphere of pre-prohibition saloons, speakeasies also welcomed women, flipping the script on who could enjoy a drink in public (Prohibition: An Interactive History).

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, saloons were predominantly frequented by males, with some establishments featuring a separate entrance for women (Failing). With the emergence of speakeasies during Prohibition, gender lines got blurred. Additionally, the LGBTQ+ community, though not openly welcomed, found spaces in venues like the Renaissance Casino in New York City, where gender fluidity was observed among attendees.?

To illustrate, on a Friday night in 1926, the 58th masquerade and civil ball of Hamilton Lodge was being hosted with approximately 1,500 attendees. An article by Sarah Pruitt from History reveals that nearly half of those attending appeared to be “men of the class generally known as ‘fairies,’ and many Bohemians from the Greenwich Village section who...in their gorgeous evening gowns, wigs, and powdered faces were hard to distinguish from many of the women.”

Alcohol consumption trends during Prohibition still reflected gender disparities, with beer consumption remaining predominantly associated with masculinity. While men retained the right to drink beer both in public and at home without stigma, women were relegated to drinking primarily within the confines of the home, where their drinking habits assumed a secondary status (Corzine 849). Beer ads played into this, making beer look like the ultimate guy’s pastime and reinforcing the idea that a woman's place was in the home.

Marketing tactics during Prohibition got creative. Breweries used psychological methods to influence their way into homes. John Gund Brewing Co., for instance, used the slogan "House Committee on Refreshments" in their advertisements, depicting blue-collar workers and men in suits enjoying beer in different settings (Erica Machulak). Additionally, brewery ads often emphasized sensory appeal, using beautiful artistic imagery to encourage consumers to hang the advertisements in their home

One unique aspect of alcohol marketing during Prohibition was the promotion of "medicinal" beers as tonics, exemplified by advertisements featuring women spoon-feeding Pabst to a baby (Machulak). These ads were a clever way to avoid Prohibition laws while still pushing beer to the masses.

Bottling it all up, the Prohibition Era of the 1920s reshaped gender dynamics in alcohol consumption and marketing, challenging traditional norms and providing new opportunities for women's participation in drinking culture. The era also saw the birth of some ingenious marketing tactics that kept the booze flowing despite the ban.