More than one thing can be true at the same time. Actually prohibition was because of the beginnings of big oil.
Before prohibition farmers could distill their own gas for their tractors and did. In fact anyone could make fuel for their cars. It just rages running your corn liquor through your still 4 times. Then you gave ethanol.
This was common to do this. And farmers provided fuel to all the new fangled automobiles Early automobile engines ran on any combustible fuel. Like Russian cars still do.
To make distillation illegal they had to go after drinking and making alcohol. They got their usual useful tools to protest drunks and drinking. Big media temperance movement. Alcohol bad. Simultaneously Henry ford made his cars run just on gasoline.
A whole federal agency was directed to arrest anyone caught distilling.
Once they had fuel money and a big oil industry without competition from individuals, they brought drinking back. But taxed heavily because why not there was ample opportunity to make money. Yay, everyone can drink again!
But they never made distilling legal again.