Did you grow up believing that Welch’s grape juice was the official juice of communion?

That’s because it is!

When Dylan told me that Welch’s grape juice was actually originally created to be a non-alcoholic communion beverage, I demanded a source (journalistic training, see. Plus it seemed quite urban-legendy).

From the offical Welch’s site:

1869 - Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch, a physician and dentist by profession, successfully pasteurizes Concord grape juice to produce an “unfermented sacramental wine” for fellow parishioners at his church in Vineland, N.J., where he is communion steward. His achievement marks the beginning of the processed fruit juice industry.

So if your church is using the store brand, you better learn ‘em.

technorati tags: grape juice, church, communion