Prohibition in Iceland went into effect in 1915 and lasted, to some extent, until 1 March 1989 (since celebrated as "Beer Day").
"[1] According to one study, "Opposition to beer in Iceland was found to be strongest among Alþingi members from rural areas and traditional socialist parties.
Opponents of the beer ban in Alþingi pointed out the peculiar nature of the law allowing hard liquor but prohibiting the weaker beverage.
Prohibition lost more support in 1985, when the Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs (himself a teetotaler) prohibited pubs from adding legal spirits to legal non-alcoholic beer (called "pilsner" by Icelanders[citation needed]) to make a potent imitation of strong beer.
Soon after, beer approached legalisation in parliament—a full turnout of the upper house of Iceland's parliament voted 13 to 8 to permit the sales, ending prohibition in the country.