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I was once told by a Methodist historian that Welch made a deal with the Methodist church, that he would provide grape juice for free for their communion. The good reason was to avoid alcohol even in communion; the real reason was to provide a sample of the product for prospective customers.

I grew up in a dry town in suburban south Jersey. The adjoining community’s main industry was providing alcoholic beverages to the citizens of the dry town. My Methodist parents both drank, to the consternation of the local pastor. I’ve been a Lutheran for three decades, and I am for all practical purposes a tee-totaler, with perhaps one glass of wine or tokkuri of sake a year.