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CALENDAR
NOTE: The ABL Weekly will return on Friday, October 10.
September 28-October 1 - NBWA Annual Convention | New Orleans, LA
September 29-October 2 - Alaska CHARR Annual Convention | Anchorage, AK
October 2-4 - Great American Beer Festival | Denver, CO
October 14 - Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) Mt. Vernon Gala | Mt. Vernon, VA
October 14 - New York State Liquor Stores Association Holiday Trade Show | Albany, NY
October 16 - New York State Liquor Stores Association Holiday Trade Show | Rochester, NY
October 20 - Metropolitan (NY) Package Store Association 80th Annual Dinner |Howard Beach, NY
October 25-26 - ABL Fall Board Meeting | Biloxi, MS
ABL & PUBLIC POLICY News
Easing of marijuana laws worries road safety advocates
As the nation eases marijuana laws, road safety advocates worry that highway rules for driving
under the influence of pot are lagging, which could lead to fatal crashes.
The National Transportation Safety Board Seeks Lower Alcohol Limits, Finds Support from ASSE
The National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations to tackle the problem of
impaired driving. One of the most important recommendations, to lower the legal blood-alcohol
limit to .05 percent, has received support from the American Society of Safety Engineers.
How low will the NTSB go with legal blood alcohol limit?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is on a mission to lower the legal drunk driving
limit to .05. For a 120 pound woman, that would spell jail time for having just one drink and then
driving.
Fed Report Shows Swipe Fee 'Ripple Effect'
A new report published by the Federal Reserve Board found that the overall average cost for
debit-card transactions in 2013 was 4.4 cents per transaction, down from 5 cents in 2011. The
report contains summary information on the volume and value, interchange fee revenue, issuer
costs and fraud losses related to debit-card transactions in 2013.
Durbin Says Fed Debit Swipe Cap Too High And "Consumers Have Suffered"
In the nearly three years since the Federal Reserve's cap on debit card swipe fees took effect,
retailers and banks have continually argued whether the cap was set higher than Congress
intended. Now, the author of the law that led to the cap is telling the U.S. Supreme Court that
the Fed Reserve Board got it wrong, and that retailers are right.
In Closely Watched Case, Tito's Plans To Contest Lawsuit Against "Handmade" Claim
Drinks marketers are likely reevaluating their label claims in the wake of a lawsuit against Tito's
Handmade Vodka for the 1.3-million-case brand's claim of being "Handmade." The suit, filed
September 15 in San Diego Superior Court by a California real estate broker named Gary
Hoffman, aims to force Tito's owner, Austin, Texas-based Fifth Generation Inc., to drop the term
"Handmade" from its name.
The Slow Creep Toward Saner Alcohol Policies
On beer, wine, and liquor issues, the country appears to be creeping toward saner policies.
Success stories, deregulation, and voter-led changes are all signs of this trend. But for some-like
Westover Winery-change hasn't come fast enough.
Anti-Smoking Policies May Also Curtail Drinking
Cigarette tax hikes and smoke-free policies have not only cut tobacco use in the United States,
they may have led to a noticeable drop in alcohol consumption, according to a new study.
AFFILIATE News
Tavern League of Wisconsin
Local, state taverns help New Hope Center mission
October 2014 Newsletter (PDF)
INDUSTRY News
Alcoholic Beverages Law Blog
Alcoholic Beverages Law Blog Launches New Responsive Design and Enhanced Reader Features
Beer Institute
Beer Institute Releases Domestic Tax Paid Estimate
Brewers Association
The Rise of the Microbrewery Tap Room
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS)
New Cardiology Study Cites Moderate Alcohol Consumption as a Healthy Lifestyle Behavior
Associated with Reduced Heart Attack Risk
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA)
Control State Results for August 2014 (PDF)
National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA)
NBWA 77th Annual Convention to Feature Mobile App and Exclusive NBWA-TV News Team
spiritsEUROPE
spiritsNEWS September 2014
ASSOCIATE Spotlight
Bacardi USA: Platinum Associate Member
Bacardi USA is the United States import, sales and marketing arm of Bacardi
Limited, one of the world's leading spirits and wine producers. The
company boasts a portfolio of some of the most recognized and top-selling
spirits brands in the United States including BACARDI® rum, the world's
number-one selling rum; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world-leader in super-premium vodka;
DEWAR'S® Blended Scotch whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United
States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the fastest-growing premium gin in the spirits industry;
CAZADORES® blue agave tequila, the number-one premium tequila in the world; MARTINI &
ROSSI® vermouth, the world-leader in vermouth; and other leading and emerging brands.
Meet Bacardi USA.
STATE News
Alabama: ABC Board won't be allowed to hear any possible appeals on Mobile's Wynnsong 16
liquor license request
If the Mobile City Council choses to vote down a beer and wine license for the Wynnsong 16
multiplex cinema, Carmike Inc. won't have the option to appeal the decision to the Alabama
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Mobile, along with Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, are the only
three cities in Alabama that require liquor-related license appeals to go the Circuit Court, and not
the ABC Board.
California: Liquor Store Stops Selling Cheap Spirits To Curb Alcohol Abuse Among At-Risk
Groups
One California city is trying to rein in alcohol abuse among its vulnerable populations, including
homeless people, teens and addicts. Mayor Gary Phillips of San Rafael is using a local store to
test if eliminating liquor sold cheaply and in large quantities -- varieties he claims are most
popular among homeless customers struggling with substance abuse -- would help stop the
prevalence of public drunkenness, an issue spawning complaints among residents downtown.
Colorado: Brewers Guild unveils marketing push for state-made beers
Would someone shopping in a liquor store in another state be more likely to purchase a beer if
they could identify it quickly as being from Colorado? The Colorado Brewers Guild and Colorado
Tourism Office are betting that they would.
Illinois: Faces of minimum wage: Restaurant owner weighs pay, fairness
Editor's note: Minimum wage workers protest nationwide, pleading for hikes at federal, state
and local levels. Businesses fear potential harm from such a mandate, predicting layoffs and
higher prices. In Chicago, some aldermen sought a $15 minimum; a city panel held hearings and
proposed $13 by 2018, a plan Mayor Rahm Emanuel has embraced. In Illinois, the debate goes to
voters on the Nov. 4 ballot with a nonbinding referendum seeking support for a hike to $10 from
$8.25 per hour.
Louisiana: Belle Chasse businessman has global reach with wine
A small warehouse and office building tucked away in a modest Belle Chasse industrial park may
seem like the farthest place from the sun-kissed hills that produce the Brunellos and Rossos from
Italy's Tuscany region or the gently sloping valley in the south of France that births Château
Miraval's Rosé. But each year, Lirette Selections imports those wines and hundreds of others
from more than a dozen countries, distributing them to retailers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge
and Lafayette.
Maryland: Montgomery County Program Shows Most Comply With Alcohol Rules
A compliance check of Montgomery County restaurants and stores that sell alcohol found the
vast majority of waiters, bartenders and storekeepers follow the rules when it comes to checking
IDs.
Mississippi: Pontotoc liquor vote awaits affidavits after tie
Officials in Pontotoc say a vote to allow the sale of hard liquor is tied. City Clerk Dexter Warren
tells WTVA-TV the vote count Friday stands at 829 for, 829 against.
Nebraska: Nebraska regulators deal with growing beer, wine industries
Rapid growth in the brewpub and wine industries has increased the workload for state officials
who police the industry and approve liquor licenses for special events. Now, the Nebraska Liquor
Control Commission is asking the governor and lawmakers for additional staff to handle it.
New Hampshire: New Hampshire, the Control State People Like
Control state residents frequently complain about high prices, limited selection, insufficient and
inconvenient outlets, extremely limited hours, and indifferent service. In every control state, that
is, except New Hampshire.
New Jersey: Proposed legislation aims to promote NJ wineries, craft breweries
To give an added boost to these growth industries, Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi is pushing a pair of
resolutions aimed at extending New Jersey's Summer tourism season. "We're gonna - looking to
make the last week in September 'New Jersey Wine, Spirits and Craft Beer Week,' and the last
Wednesday in September as 'New Jersey Dine Out Day,'" said the 1st District Assemblyman.
New York: Board close to a recommendation on Wegmans proposal to serve alcohol in café
The DeWitt Planning Board looked favorably on Wegmans' proposal to expand the food court
and serve alcohol in the cafe, but decided not to make an official recommendation until its next
meeting on Oct. 6.
New York: Wine store uncorking lawsuit
A popular Capital Region liquor retailer is uncorking a lawsuit against the State Liquor Authority,
claiming the regulatory body is overstepping its powers by seeking to shut down the store's sales
to out-of-state customers.
New York: Wine seller sues state agency
A local wine seller is suing a state agency with claims that it's operating unconstitutionally.
Albany's Empire Wine, one of the Capital Region's most popular wine sellers and one of the most
successful wine retailers in New York state, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the New York State
Liquor Authority.
North Carolina: Editorial - ABC chairman takes aim at underage drinking in N.C.
Alcohol abuse takes a huge toll on our state. And often, it starts at a very young age. Most
campaigns against underage drinking focus on high school or college students, but that's too
late, according to the chairman of the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
Oregon: Winery uses legal loophole to be listed as a Washington Wine
Not all in the Walla Walla Valley is as peaceful as it appears. It turns out there's a giant loophole
in the law that Oregon wineries are able to exploit to market themselves as "Washington wines".
Oregon: Agency Leaders Prep For Oregon Pot Vote
In the months before a marijuana legalization measure goes before voters, the leadership of
Oregon's largest agencies quietly convened high-level meetings to discuss how to deal with it.
Pennsylvania: Columbia man accused of selling raffle tickets for beer, liquor at bar
A Columbia man accused of illegally selling beer and liquor through raffle tickets at a bar has
been charged with operating an illegal gambling operation, state police said.
Tennessee: Push for wine in grocery stores not done yet
After years of pent-up frustration for all the people who want to buy their steak and their
cabernet sauvignon in one place, the votes to let grocery stores sell wine might not be election
night nail-biters. But even with few signs of vocal opposition, activists campaigning for passage in
more than 75 cities and counties say they don't want anyone who supports the cause to get
complacent or lose focus.
Texas: Feds Want to Lower Blood Alcohol Content
Texas continues to lead the nation in the number of drunk driving deaths each year -- nearly
1,300 in 2012. So is lowering the legal blood alcohol level the answer to saving lives?
Texas: TABC Drops Plan to Allow Alcohol Sales With Gun Sales
Following unexpected opposition from gun rights organizations, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission this week dropped a proposed rule change that would have allowed alcohol sales at
the same venues where guns are sold, indicating it would leave such decision-making to the
Legislature instead.
Texas: Spec's and Total Wine Are Battling for Wine Supremacy, and You're Drinking the
Benefits
Over the past couple of years, the two chains -- Houston-based Spec's and Maryland's Total Wine
-- have turned what used to be a gentlemanly and often price-controlled environment into the
booze business' version of a pro wrestling cage match.
Utah: One way to crack down on binge drinking in Utah? Raise liquor prices
At an alcohol policy summit at the Utah State Capitol last week, lawmakers, industry
representatives and others discussed the problem of binge drinking and ways to stop it.
Virginia: State liquor sales in the black, thanks to Jack
Liquor sales are up in the area and Virginia over the previous fiscal year, with Jack Daniel's
whiskey leading the way. The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control reported a 4.9
percent increase in sales the Fredericksburg region, totaling $28.9 million during fiscal 2014. All
15 local ABC stores saw a rise in revenue.
Washington: Seattle beer drinkers put down Rainier after Russian sale
Rainier's parent company, Pabst Brewing, was just sold to a Russian beverage company. It's
already prompted protests of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rainier.
BUSINESS & LIFESTYLE News
Need Liquor Delivered Now? The Startup World's Got You Covered
The U.S. alcohol industry, tightly controlled since the end of Prohibition by a tiered system of
producers, distributors, and retailers, has largely kept e-commerce companies out of the
business. Boston-based Drizly is one of a handful of startups trying not to replace that system,
but to graft themselves onto it.
Wine execs concerned about growth of craft beer, specialty spirits
While the California wine market continues to prosper in an era of drought and consolidation, a
new survey shows top Golden State vintners remain concerned about the future of the $23.1
billion industry, especially among the discerning millennial market.
Think you drink a lot? This chart will tell you.
Do you drink a glass of wine with dinner every night? That puts you in the top 30 percent of
American adults in terms of per-capita alcohol consumption. If you drink two glasses, that would
put you in the top 20 percent.
We Drink More Alcohol When We Exercise
First we sweat, and then we swig: A new Northwestern Medicine study published in the journal
Health Psychology finds that people tend to drink more alcohol on days they've exercised.
Settlement reached in Major Brands, Diageo franchise trial
A settlement has been reached in a civil trial that pitted St. Louis-based distributor Major Brands
against global alcohol producer Diageo and St. Charles-based distributor Glazer's Distributors of
Missouri.
Group Of Fraternities Launches New Education Effort To Tackle Problem Behaviors
Beginning this fall, eight major fraternal organizations will launch a new education effort aimed
at preventing and intervening against sexual and relationship misconduct, binge drinking and
hazing among fraternity members.
Peers, not genetics, make teens more likely to drink
When it comes to teens and alcohol abuse, peer pressure may trump genetics. Though some
people carry a gene variant that decreases the likelihood that they'll develop an alcohol problem,
it may not be enough to prevent younger people from drinking too much, especially in certain
social settings around friends who consume alcohol in excess.
The Right Ice for Your Cocktail
An important ingredient in cocktails and mixed drinks sometimes gets overlooked, even by
bartenders-the right ice.
Get Ready to Spend More Money On Craft Beer
To do this weekend: Buy as much beer as you can carry, because prices are about to skyrocket.
According to Reuters, Canada - which is the world's second-largest exporter of malting barley has harvested its "smallest crop since 1968." Cold, wet weather this year has lead to mass
amounts of damage to the Canadian barley crop.
America's most iconic beer brands are being bought by foreign investors. So what?
American beer is in the midst of a global identity crisis. Domestic sales of light beer fell again last
year, while imported lagers, spirits and wines climbed. The biggest beer brands in the United
States - think Budweiser, Miller and Coors - are now owned, respectively, by people in Belgium,
England and Canada. The nation's two most popular American-owned beer brands? Corona and
Modelo. Both are brewed in Mexico.
Pot in a bottle: Seattle company wants to make marijuana syrup
'Ballard Beat' and 'Wallingford Wanderlust' are just a few flavors of new marijuana-infused
syrups set to hit the market here. Craft Elixirs, a Seattle-based company, is waiting on the final
approval from the Washington State Liquor Control Board to start producing the specialty
syrups.
Study: Red Wine Prevents Cavities
A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry claims the antioxidants
in red wine can help eradicate bacteria and thus prevent tooth decay.
Starbucks Is Testing A New Latte That Tastes Exactly Like Guinness
Attention all coffee lovers: Starbucks is testing a new drink that they say tastes like stout beer.
Getting a feel for multi-sensory packaging
Brands today are tapping into the personalization of packaging to reach the masses one
consumer at a time. But standing apart from the it's-all-about-me package decoration crowd,
tactility is an underused multi-sensory element that draws shoppers in, often with visual cues
first, and then closes the deal with what may be the most personal of the all the senses-touch.
Scotch Whisky Industry Praises Stability From Independence Vote
After a sleepless night of waiting for returns from around Scotland, Scotch Whisky Association
leaders are praising the stability that will come from a rejection of the independence
referendum. 55 percent of Scottish voters cast ballots opposing a break from the United
Kingdom, and First Minister Alex Salmond has accepted the defeat while calling for Scots on both
sides of the issue to unite.
Billion dollar beer war is brewing
They are one of the most influential couples in Europe. One is a Dutch heiress to a famous
centuries-old business empire, the other a flamboyant former child actor and Olympic skier and
today among the Square Mile's top financiers.