Just as the "drys" in Minnesota were fighting hard to prohibit alcohol, the "wets" were fighting hard to keep it. Breweries boomed across Minnesota in the 1880s and 1890s, bolstered by the railroads and the large numbers of German immigrants. In the 1910s, as the temperance movement gained in power and many counties became dry, breweries began to close. Some Minnesotans lost their livelihood, and many others were losing an important part of their culture. Germans, Irish, and Italians in particular viewed alcohol as a normal part of their everyday lives. 

When the Prohibition amendment was put to a vote in 1918, Minnesotans against Prohibition campaigned to keep alcohol legal in the state. The 18th amendment to the Constitution was ratified by Minnesota in January 1919, and breweries and saloons shut down across the state. A few remained open throughout Prohibition, producing near-beer, soda, and candy to stay in business.