Colorado to sell full-strength beer?
By Noah Davis • Nov 23rd, 2009 • Category: Beer News
The movement to legalize full-strength beer in Colorado is taking a new turn. After twice failing to get the measure through the state’s legislative body, one man hopes the people will vote in favor of raising the limit.
Blake Harrison wants to get an initiative on the ballot that would allow food stores to sell full-strength beer and wine, and allow liquor stores to sell non-perishable food.
“I’m trying to make sure that people have a voice in this,” the attorney told 7News.
Considering Denver boasts not one, but two beer weeks, we imagine they’d be okay with stronger beer in supermarkets. Just in time for Strong Beer Month perhaps?
Astounding that a state like Colorado, for all the great contributions it has made to the beer industry, has such a restrictive law on the books.
And it’s no surprise that the people who oppose this measure do so for business reasons — as if the consumer’s freedom of choice shouldn’t have anything to do with it.
As a Colorado beer lover I’m ok with the law. It sounds funny to most people, but this law helps the beer industry (and especially smaller breweries). Sure I can’t buy chips and beer at the same store, but the liquor stores (there’s usually one not too far from the grocery store) tend to have AMAZING beer selections. Stuff the grocery stores would never carry. I can understand the food stores complaining this law is unfair, but I think if it changes some liquor stores will go out of business and beer drinkers will be left with more places to buy beer, but not as good of a selection.
This is double talk. Full strength beer is legal in Colorado. The wording is misrepresenting the situation. Whenever anyone misrepresents the regulations/law YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SUSPICIOUS.
This is about legalizing the sale of full strength beer in supermarkets, a situation that is opposed by Colorado small brewers who argue that because of the way the marketplace works, craft brewers will be squeezed out of the marketplace and beer drinkers will have far less choice.
Caution: Whenever a situation is misrepresented - DON’T believe the messenger.
I agree this Draft Mag posting doesn’t paint the whole picture — you have to read between the lines in this post to get the distinction among beer strengths in grocery stores vs. liquor stores, but it’s nestled in the second paragraph. Otherwise, not till you click on the linked word “hopes” is it made as clear as it needs to be.
But Charlie, unless you know something we don’t know about this publication, your response here carries a bit of an alarmist, almost conspiratorial, air. I’d sooner chalk it up to incomplete, lazy journalism as opposed to something as suspect as your forceful rebuke would suggest.
Restricting totally rightful activity (such as buying alcoholic beverages from any business you wish) is always a wrong.
Not only is it morally objectionable, because governments have no moral right whatsoever to interfere with a totally legit business transaction, but it is economically destructive, because it limits free choice and trade. Preventing trade can never help commerce; that’s crazy! It simply benefits those who are politically connected at the expense of everyone else.
Basically, liquor stores have profited unjustly for years due to an illegitimate law, so they have no leg to stand on. It should be repealed.