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CALENDAR
January 9: Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association Opening Day Legislative Reception |
Annapolis, MD
January 22: Licensed Beverage Dealers of South Dakota Annual Hog Roast | Ft. Pierre, SD
February 13 - 14: Beverage Dynamics BDLive! Off-Premise Retailers Convention | Dallas, TX
February 23-26: Wine and Spirits Guild of America Winter Meeting | New Orleans, LA
March 9 - 11: ABL Spring Board Meeting | Atlanta, GA
ABL & PUBLIC POLICY News
BIG FEES: Business Owners Asking To Lower Credit Card Fees
More people are shopping with plastic instead of cash, and while retailers are happy to have
people spending money, small business owners say they are being hit with extra fees when
folks use credit cards. Iowa small business owners are asking lawmakers to lower those fees
because they believe it would benefit everyone.
Bank of America's Backtrack on Fees Is Proof Debit Reform Is Working
Bank of America's recent decision to back down on new checking fees next year is further
proof debit card swipe fee reform has resulted in greater marketplace competition
benefitting consumers.
Some Business leaders say 'cliff' deal won't ease economic uncertainty
A day after Congress managed to avert the fiscal cliff, business leaders warned that the
agreement will hurt sales and hiring, won't unlock investment and leaves the economy
riddled with congressionally imposed land mines for months to come.
Inmates try to sue booze makers for a billion dollars
Five inmates at the Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise are suing a handful of
major beer and wine companies, contending that alcohol led to their crimes and that they
should have been warned that the beverages can be addictive.
Fiscal Cliff Bill Loaded With Pork
Congress might have caught itself from falling over the fiscal cliff Tuesday, but the deal
comes with a hefty price tag. Included in the $4 billion bill is an expiration of the payroll tax
break, along with tax exemptions for everyone from the rum industry to NASCAR bigwigs.
Smoking out lawmakers on conflicts of interest?
When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $3 million in smokingcessation funds to Iowa clinics back in 2010, home state Sen. Tom Harkin crowed he helped
secure the money using his position on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
BDLive! Conference
For off-premise retailers of beer,
wine and spirits, BDLive! is the
event of the year. No wonder:
BDLive!
is packed with information and ideas to help your business thrive, and it offers you a variety
of networking opportunities, from our first-ever Town Hall Forum to our special "I Love
Dallas" Reception featuring Dallas Bar Stars.
Click here to view the event | Connect on Facebook
ABL AFFILIATE News
Anchorage CHARR
Hey Anchorage, need a ride home on New Year's Eve?
Operation Tipsy Tow offers free rides and tows for impaired drivers
Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers
Project RAD
Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association
Maryland Gazette Political Notes: Lawmakers will consider Anne Arundel growler bill
Lawmakers to consider growler bill
New York: Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association
Hospitality Business Resource Center News
Tavern League of Wisconsin
SafeRide program offers free trips home from Wisconsin taverns
TLW Newsletter for January 2013 (PDF)
Wyoming State Liquor Association
Wyoming lottery backers try again
INDUSTRY News
Brewers Association
Beer tax increase idea is wrong-headed
National Restaurant Association
Fiscal deal offers some benefits to restaurateurs
Responsible Hospitality Institute
RHI talks about night life management plan
Councilman Bruce Kraus and the Responsible Hospitality Institute address Pittsburgh
nightlife issues
FOLLOW Friday
The Distilled Spirits Council is the national trade association
representing America's leading producers of distilled spirits
products sold in the U.S. DISCUS is an ABL Platinum Associate
Member.
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STATE News
Colorado: Do alcohol and marijuana mix? Colorado is about to find out
In the debate over what marijuana legalization means for Colorado, the best drug-policy
brains in the nation say there is one question getting short shrift: If people can more easily
toke, does that mean they will drink less?
Illinois: Illinois is a national leader in its efforts to combat drunk driving
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White applauded the National Transportation Safety Board
for its recommendation that all states require Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices
(BAIID) on the cars of first-time DUI offenders. Secretary White initiated Illinois' cutting-edge
BAIIDlaw that took effect Jan. 1, 2009, making Illinois the second state in the nation to do so.
Indiana: State revokes liquor license in response to illegal reselling of permits
In a case that has raised questions about the state's oversight of liquor permits being sold on
the black market, state regulators Wednesday revoked the permit of a Lake County man
who was accused of illegally selling it.
Iowa: Ban on drive-up window liquor sales
Businesses in Waterloo, Iowa are no longer allowed to sell alcohol from drive-up windows.
An ordinance also requires businesses with unlimited alcohol sales, such as bars and liquor
stores, to maintain a distance from protected uses, such as schools and churches.
Kansas: Chamber To Support Loosening Of Liquor Laws
The Kansas Chamber of Commerce wants to allow the state's groceries and convenience
stores to sell wine, liquor and full-strength beer. Chamber vice president Kent Eckles says the
chamber will be part of a coalition urging legislators to rewrite laws on alcohol sales in the
upcoming session.
Maryland: New law for online purchase of Kosher wine to come up in Maryland
Maryland lawmaker Del Sam Arora, D-Silver Spring is drafting a bill in the state court that will
allow locals to buy kosher wine directly from stores outside the state and from online
retailers like kosherwine.com.
New Mexico: Gov. Appoints Director of Alcohol and Gaming
Gov. Susana Martinez has named Albuquerque attorney Jennifer M. Anderson director of
the state Division of Alcohol and Gaming.
North Dakota: Legislature will take on DUI penalties
When the North Dakota Legislature convenes, it will have two serious proposals to reform
penalties in the state's DUI law -- one from each party, Republicans and Democrats, and both
more severe than existing law when it comes to consequences for drunken driving.
Ohio: State Cracking Down on Liquor Establishments
Starting this year, Ohio law enforcement officials will conduct investigations to determine
where drunk drivers involved in accidents bought their alcohol and could file charges if the
establishment served the driver too much.
Tennessee: Liquor stores rebuff grocery stores' wine proposal
An effort to reduce opposition to supermarket wine sales is so far failing to change the
minds of the liquor store owners who stand to lose the most out of the proposal. Under the
bill taking shape before the Legislature convenes next week, local referendums would
determine if wine could be sold alongside beer in grocery and convenience stores around
the state. In exchange, liquor stores could branch out to sell items, like beer, mixers, ice and
snacks.
Washington: Independent liquor stores face closure
Independent liquor stores that opened after the state handed the reins of liquor sales to
private companies seven months ago already are facing the threat of closure. New state fees
on spirits have cut into the bottom line of small-business owners and increased prices.
Washington: Privatizing liquor hasn't brought price down
More than six months after privatization of the state's liquor industry, the goal of lower
prices has yet to materialize. In fact, prices overall took a jump immediately after the
changeover and have stayed near that level since. The average price per liter of hard liquor
after taxes statewide in October was $24.06, according to figures from the state Department
of Revenue.
Washington: Booze competition likely to intensify
Fans and critics of the 2012 law that allowed private firms to take over liquor sales can agree
on one thing: Like it or not, Washington's retail spirits industry is heading in the direction of
the hard-fought, highly competitive liquor landscape consumers have in California.
Washington: Report: Wash. booze buyers flocking to Idaho
More people appear to be making booze runs across the state line to Idaho since
Washington privatized its liquor system. The Spokesman Review reports business in Idaho
stores is booming since Washington closed its state-run stores at the end of May.
Washington: Privatized liquor losing proposition for small-store owners
Don Sidhu got into the liquor business to follow his dream of owning a successful business.
Raised in an entrepreneurial culture, the 39-year-old Vancouver businessman has helped
family and friends operate liquor stores in other states. The experience made Sidhu
confident he could make a decent living selling booze after Washington's switch from a
state-operated liquor system to private store sales.
LIFESTYLE & TREND News
Alcohol: Social Lubricant for 10,000 Years
As people ring in the New Year with dancing and a bit of bubbly, they can consider
themselves part of an ancient human tradition. Several new archaeological finds suggest
that alcohol has been a social glue in parties, from work festivals to cultic feasts, since the
dawn of civilization.
Gals Down Alcohol Faster Than Guys
Who's partying the hardest this New Year's? In some places, it may be the ladies. Male
university students in Spain down more booze overall than their female counterparts, but in
drinks-per-hour, the ladies are out-quaffing the guys, new research finds.
The story of gin: A spirited interview
As we roll into the final holiday parties of the year, spirits are high -- and flowing. "The Book
of Gin" by Richard Barnett traces the history of gin, which was once believed to prevent
plague, ease the pains of childbirth and treat a lack of courage.
Group to ramp up support for energy drinks
Beverage industry lobbyists are preparing to increase support for energy drinks, the highly
caffeinated sodas that have been criticised in recent months amid allegations that they are
linked to deaths.
The Rebirth Of Rye Whiskey And Nostalgia For 'The Good Stuff'
It used to be said that only old men drink rye, sitting alone down at the end of the bar, but
that's no longer the case as bartenders and patrons set aside the gins and the vodkas and
rediscover the pleasures of one of America's old-fashioned favorites.
BUSINESS News
Trouble Brewing: The Craft Beer Vs. 'Crafty' Beer Cat Fight
Tired of watching mainstream beer sales fall while the craft beer craze soared, large
international companies like MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev have hijacked the
playbook of small, independent brewers. The results are faux "crafty" beers like Blue Moon
and Shock Top, which appear to be created by smalltime operations, while actually being
produced by the world's largest brewers. Naturally, the authentic little guys aren't pleased.
A Stunning Visualization Of America's Wine Industry
America's wine industry is booming. But a new study from Michigan State Professor Philip
Howard shows "industry" maybe something of a misnomer. While you may see a wide
variety of American labels at your local wine shop, the vast majority are merely offshoots of
mega producers, most of them concentrated in California, Professor Howard found.
A-B debuts Beck's Sapphire beer
Anheuser-Busch InBev started 2013 with the launch of a new pilsner, Beck's Sapphire, in a
glass bottle. The beer, brewed with German Saphir hops, comes in a 12 ounce black glass
bottle that took two years to develop.
ADP estimates 215,000 jobs created in December
Private sector employers added 215,000 jobs in December, beating expectations, as
construction surged and businesses of all sizes added workers, according to a monthly
survey by payroll-processing company ADP.
Big Beer, A Moral Market, and Innovation
The great effervescence in America's beer industry is largely the product of a market
structure designed to ensure moral balances, one that relies on independent middlemen to
limit the reach and power of the giants.