The Secret Story of Grape Bricks: How Americans ‘Accidentally’ Made Wine During Prohibition

If you’re from America, you’ve probably learned about Prohibition, or, as President Herbert Hoover famously called it, “The Noble Experiment.” Basically, the whole country went on a bender and a bunch of people (a lot of women from the Temperance Movement) got together and was like “hey, everyone is too drunk and we shouldn’t have alcohol around anymore and then our husbands will come home and help with the children after work.”

During Prohibition, making wine wasn’t just frowned upon, it was flat-out illegal. But in true human fashion, where there’s a will, there’s a sneaky loophole, so enter: grape bricks.

Yep, that’s right. During the 1920s, companies sold condensed blocks of grape juice concentrate, complete with a wink-and-nod warning label telling consumers exactly what not to do if they didn’t want it to ferment into wine. Spoiler: everyone ignored the warning, and they knew it.

The Grape Brick Boom

When the 18th Amendment made alcohol illegal in 1920, America’s booming wine industry faced complete and utter disaster. California’s vineyards, many of which were planted by immigrants who brought generations of winemaking tradition with them, suddenly had no legal buyers. Wineries shuttered overnight and grape growers were panicking.

But then, someone had an idea that changed the fate of all those hard working winemakers: what if they sold the grapes as juice instead? And better yet, what if they concentrated the juice into a solid brick, making it easier to ship and store?

These bricks, also called “wine bricks” or “vine bricks,” were just a dense block of grape juice extract. To “reconstitute” them, you simply dissolved the brick in water. Sounds innocent, right? But here’s the genius (and hilarious) part: every box came with a printed warning that basically functioned as an instruction manual in disguise.

Labels often read something like:

“WARNING: After dissolving the brick in water, do not add yeast or let it sit in a dark place for 21 days, or it will ferment into wine.”

I just picture someone in their kitchen reading that, raising an eyebrow, and thinking: “Oh no, well, we wouldn’t want that to happen.”

Americans Get Crafty

Predictably, Americans ignored the warnings en masse.
By 1925, grape brick sales had skyrocketed, with over 30 million gallons of “juice” accidentally fermenting into wine each year. Oopsies. Some estimates say California vineyards expanded by 700% during Prohibition, entirely thanks to these tricky little grape bricks.

People weren’t just making wine for themselves, either. Many households operated little underground wineries, bottling up their forbidden batches and selling them quietly around town. Community secret wineries sound like something I’d love for them to bring back.

Prohibition agents and the government were all very well aware of what was going on, but without direct proof of illegal fermentation, their hands were tied. They couldn’t figure out how to prosecute anyone from either the selling or buying of non-illegal grape bricks.

The Grape Brick Mafia

Where there’s illegal demand, there’s organized crime that follows, and grape bricks weren’t immune.

In places like Chicago and New York, mobsters saw grape bricks as a great new revenue stream. Grape brick shipments were hijacked and some vineyards were strong-armed for exclusive contracts. Some gangs even set up fake “juice companies” as fronts for wine distribution.

Suddenly, a simple brick of grape concentrate wasn’t just a kitchen staple, it was a commodity fueling the black market. Families making wine in their basements weren’t just dodging the law; in some neighborhoods, they were dodging the mafia, too for a fun little twist of danger.

And it wasn’t just grapes, similar “bricks” were made from raisins, currants, and other fruits for people who wanted to experiment with different flavors of home-brewed wine. It was like a secret DIY winemaking club, hidden in plain sight. Pinterest would’ve had a field day.

The taste factor

Okay, so here’s the million-dollar question any sommelier would wonder: was it any good?

Honestly…no. I can’t image it was any sort of delicious.

Because grape bricks were made from leftover grape skins, stems, and seeds (basically all the scraps) you weren’t exactly getting Napa Valley quality in those little packets. The wine was more often than not harsh, overly tannic, and very poorly aged. But in an era where legally buying alcohol meant risking jail time, no one really cared about the balance on the palate. They just wanted that buzz they were craving.

I suppose it wasn’t all bad news for the wine industry. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, California had more vineyards than ever. Some growers who’d barely scraped by selling grape bricks went on to become major players in post-Prohibition winemaking. Talk about an unexpected comeback story with a little sprinkle of danger and breaking the law.

If you’re interested in tasting what Prohibition-era wines might’ve been like (minus the bathtub fermentation), check out this modern kit you can get on Amazon to make your own wine!

Lessons from the grape brick era

Looking back, grape bricks are more than just a quirky historical footnote (but they’re that too), they’re a reminder of how people adapt, innovate, and even subvert laws when faced with restrictions.

It’s also a testament to the power of the written word. Those cheeky warning labels did double duty: satisfying government regulations while giving a sly wink to consumers. “Don’t you dare do this, or else you’ll have wine” became the ultimate reverse psychology marketing pitch.

Today, grape bricks are collector’s items, sometimes found at estate sales or tucked away in vintage shops. They’re a tangible piece of rebellion, sitting quietly on a dusty shelf, whispering, “Hey…remember when we outsmarted the system?” How American of us.

Because sometimes, breaking the rules tastes a little sweeter.

And if you’re interested in learning about sweet wines, read about the history of Tokaji wine or Champagne here!

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