From Iceland — Beer Ban Years: Why Was Beer Banned For 74 Years?

From Iceland — Beer Ban Years: Why Was Beer Banned For 74 Years?

And why was hard liquor allowed? It’s hard to believe now, with ale flowing from every tap and with beer being brewed in every township, but until 1989 you couldn’t walk into a bar in Iceland and ask for a beer to drink. Or you could, but no beer would be forthcoming. This wasn’t a quirk of Icelandic bars or of taste or economics, it was the result of a full-fledged state policy. Beer was a controlled substance; a dangerous intoxicant, it was sa…