I must admit that I was at a loss for things to write about today and turned to a trusty site, Wine & Spirits Daily, for some fodder. Luckily, Megan wrote about some wine/spirits related state laws that have recently been repealed. The days full report (where the following excerpt was taken) can be found here.
From Wine & Spirits Daily, July 10th:
Colorado became the 35th state this week to allow residents to buy alcohol on Sundays, reports the Associated Press. The new law replaces a 1933 statute requiring liquor stores to close on Sunday, and also allows Coloradans to buy normal-strength beer on Sundays. Before, residents could only purchase reduced-strength, 3.2 percent alcohol beer at grocery stores on Sundays.
In Idaho, residents can now purchase spirits on Election Day, with a new law that replaces a 1939 measure intended to prevent the trading of alcohol for votes.
Virginia, meanwhile, overthrew a state law that banned restaurants from mixing spirits with wine or beer, which meant restaurants couldn’t serve sangria. The law took effect in July.
Wisconsin legislators revised a law prohibiting municipal officials from selling products or services to bars or other establishments with liquor licenses. The strange law drew attention when a local elected official in the city of Stevens Point was forced to resign a year ago after it became known that he ran a business that sold vacuum cleaners to pubs and restaurants, reports the AP.
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has called for “greater normalcy” in the state’s liquor and beer regulation to help boost tourism. He was able to pass a law increasing the amount of alcohol in a standard cocktail from 1 ounce to 1.5 ounces, but had to agree to ban wine coolers from Utah grocery stores as a compromise. The state also prohibited residents from ordering extra shots of alcohol to add to their drinks.
YES – I’m dumbfounded. Reduced strength beer? No Spirits on Election day?? No mixing spirits & beer/wine (forget Sangria, what about Saki bombs?)??? We won’t even get into the last two (shocker that Utah has strict/controlling drinking laws).
As many of us in the biz (or trying to break our way in) know, many of the liquor related laws in this country came about when Prohibition was repealed and states wanted to closely control the alcohol trade. One of the reasons as I understand things was to prevent organized crime from further controlling the trade as they did during Prohibition. THAT seems to make sense. But politicians getting paid off and senseless laws such as some of the above really have to make you wonder about the people in control of this fine country of ours…
Have a GREAT week everybody & Happy lawful wine tasting!
WTG
Colorado: They probably figured out that people were drinking double at reduced strength
Utah: I bet everyone is carrying their liquor in a ‘water’ bottle!
It’s so ridiculous how government is so antiquated and still allows laws like these to exist that must be overturned.
Not allowing alcohol sales on Sunday is the most ridiculous involvement of government in peoples live and the mixing of church and state. Don’t even get me started….looks like you have though.