The Grape Juice Coup of the 1914 Fair
A Kennewick producer saves the Democratic Party's booth at the Puyallup Valley Fair by rebranding his grape juice as the official 'Bryan's Beverage.'
Church’s Grape juice is gaining new laurels every day, and M. H. Church is now the duly commissioned purveyor to the Democratic party. At the Puyallup Valley fair, the Democratic booth lacked pulling power compared to the Progressives. In desperation, the Democratic chairman sent an S.O.S. to Mr. Church in Kennewick. The next morning, a flaming banner appeared: 'Bryan’s Beverage, the National Drink of the Democratic party, Church’s Grape Juice, Made in Washington.' The beverage was free to anyone who signed a pledge to support the Democratic ticket. One elderly lady, wary of the party's traditions, refused to drink, suspecting the purple liquid contained 'just a little Bourbon or some kindred spirit.' She never returned, but the crowds flocked to the booth, turning the tide of the campaign event.
“Are you sure that stuff has no alcohol in it?”
This story highlights the intersection of local industry and partisan marketing in early 20th-century Washington. It reflects the era's intense temperance movement, where politicians sought to pair their platforms with 'unfermented' products to appeal to voters in a state heading rapidly toward prohibition.
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