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CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 8-10: Illinois Licensed Beverage Association Annual Meeting and Convention | Kankakee,IL
SEPTEMBER 9-12: Montana Tavern Association 58th Annual Convention & Trade Show | Butte, MT
SEPTEMBER 16: Colorado Licensed Beverage Association 2013 Golf Tournament | Lakewood, CO
ABL & PUBLIC POLICY News
Hard Cider Treated Like Beer Becomes Endeavor of Senators: Taxes
A good hard cider has a bit of a kick -- and sometimes a tax bite as well. Cider is taxed at different
rates depending on its alcohol and carbon dioxide content, which vary from year-to-year based
on weather and small changes in production techniques.
Forty Hours is Full Time Act introduced in the House of Representatives
Industry association officials cheered the introduction of a bill in the U.S. House of
Representatives Friday that seeks to establish the Affordable Care Act's definition of full-time as
40 hours per week.
August recess now high season for interests lobbying lawmakers
Lawmakers hoping for a respite from Washington's intense lobbying climate won't get a break
back home during the August recess. Once a lull in the political calendar, August is now officially
part of the high season. An array of interest groups has methodically plotted how to use the
congressional recess to press causes.
SABMiller Continues Legal Battle Over Beer Deals in Mexico
SABMiller PLC, the world's second-largest brewer by sales, said Wednesday that a Mexican
federal court has accepted its case to consider overruling a July antitrust settlement on exclusive
sales agreements that SABMiller believes "failed to truly address the monopolistic activities" in
the Mexican beer market.
AFFILIATE News
Massachusetts Package Stores Association
Newsletter
Nevada Tavern Owners Association
Questions raised about state's pick for anti-smoking campaign
Tavern League of Wisconsin
How Do You Prevent Drunk Driving? Policymakers And Public Weigh Options
INDUSTRY News
Brewers Association
Nominate Your Favorite Great American Beer Bar
National Beer Wholesalers Association
NBWA Announces "Share Your Story Contest" for First-Time Convention Attendees
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
WSWA Study shows liquor and wine help spur Oregon's economy
Digital Consultant, Hill Vet Michael Babyak Joins WSWA as Digital Media and Communications
Manager
STATE News
Alabama: Opening of brewpub hearkens back to Anniston's pre-Prohibition days
Leaning over the bar in a crowded Cheaha Brewing Company Thursday, Mary Litke and her
husband, Tracy, sipped a couple of house cream ales - probably the best craft beer they'd ever
tasted.
Florida: Davie set to allow Sunday alcohol sales
The Davie Town Council is clearing the way for folks who want to buy alcohol before noon on
Sundays.
Illinois: Teen Charged After Helping Friend Dying From Alcohol Poisoning
15-year-old Michael thought he was doing the right thing in April of 2012 when he decided to
call the police at a house party in order to save his friend's life.
Indiana: Dispute over expanding Indiana's cold beer sales is heating up
Indiana's package liquor stores hope a federal court rules in a pending lawsuit that pharmacies,
gas stations and grocers must continue to sell their beer warm.
Indiana: Liquor chain to intervene in lawsuit
An Indianapolis-based liquor store chain wants to intervene in a federal lawsuit filed by gas
stations and other businesses seeking to overturn a state law banning them from selling cold
beer.
Michigan: Businesses forced to go smoke-free seeing positive results
More than three years after Michigan's Smoke Free Air Law went into effect, bar and restaurant
owners around Metro Detroit - and their customers - have adapted to the new policy.
New Jersey: "Craft Distillery License," Gusciora, Wagner Bill Now Law
Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Reed Gusciora and Connie Wagner to allow the
creation of craft distilleries in New Jersey has been signed into law.
New York: NYC bar owners boycott Russian vodka
New York City bar owners poured bottles of Russian vodka into the streets of Manhattan on
Monday in a protest against Russia's crackdown on the gay community.
North Carolina: ALE could cut one-third of its agents due to state budget cuts
State lawmakers chopped $1.75 million from the Alcohol Law Enforcement agency's budget,
which will slash its manpower by a third.
Ohio: Authorities target bars, servers
Investigations of some drunken-driving crashes and fatalities no longer end amid the crumpled
metal remains of vehicles along Ohio roads.
Oregon: Initiative would uncork convenience: Agenda 2013
With the passage of another session in which legislators did virtually nothing to loosen Oregon's
death grip on liquor sales, the state's grocery stores finally seem ready to reach for the bottle.
The Northwest Grocery Association is "getting very serious" about launching a privatization
effort, the group's president, Joe Gilliam, said recently. It's so serious, the group may decide to
pursue an initiative by the end of the month
Pennsylvania: Liquor board reports record $128M in profits
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board said Monday it enjoyed record profits in the last fiscal
year, a time when special interests were spending millions to advance or derail efforts to
privatize liquor and wines sales after 80 years of state control.
Utah: Leaders debate reality, perception of Utah liquor laws
A tug-of-war over Utah's liquor laws is brewing between those calling for fewer restrictions as a
way to attract new business and those demanding tighter reins to prevent a host of social ills.
Vermont: Cows are 'customers' of Vt. vodka company
When Chuck Thorburn, the owner of Circle T Ranch in Hartland, Vt., calls his cows, they come
running. Their hustle may be because they know they're about to get a real treat. "Stillage is like
candy to them," Thorburn said.
Virginia: Franklin County moonshine raid results in 3 indictments
Three people have been indicted on bootlegging charges stemming from a raid in Franklin
County that netted 180 gallons of moonshine.
Washington: Privatized liquor's easier for minors to steal
It's a consequence a lot of people saw coming. Too bad voters ignored the warning. Many
opponents of Initiative 1183 - which in 2012 privatized the sale of hard liquor in Washington -
predicted that making alcohol more accessible to adults would also make it more accessible to
minors. Sure enough, that's happening.
Washington: Local residents sound off on state's pot plan
The initial high of a pot law may have worn off for some people, but for Spokane County,
Thursday night was round two as people were able to voice their opinions of the Liquor Control
Board's initial marijuana draft rules at the Spokane Convention Center.
Washington, DC: Unique Booze Laws Allow a Way Around the Middleman
Pizzeria Paradiso bar manager Greg Jasgur pops the cap off a bottle of unfiltered cider from
Maine's Urban Farmhouse Fermentory and pours a glass at the Dupont bar. The small-batch
brew is light and refreshing with a funky finish, and outside of the Pine Tree State, you can only
find it here.
Wisconsin: Univ. of Wis. ranked 8th best party school
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's ranking as the nation's eighth-best party school was met
Monday not with a toast but a sigh by those who work to curb underage drinking and the
problems that go with it.
Wisconsin: Officials turn to education to reduce binge drinking problem
It would be hard to argue, considering the number of tragedies that have marred the region
recently, that central Wisconsin doesn't have a drinking problem.
BUSINESS & LIFESTYLE News
Emailing His Way to Wine Lovers' Hearts
It's a very good time for oenophiles, what with so many great wines being made all over the
world and the fact that they're sold so many places as well. But it's both a good and a bad time
to be a wine merchant (see points one and two). There's so much competition, it's become
harder and harder for wine merchants to distinguish themselves.
Lawmakers tweet their August recess work
Lawmakers have taken to Twitter to show the work they are doing in their districts over the
August recess, tweeting their meetings with constituents, their travels abroad and even including
pictures.
Blue Moon vs. Craft Beer Rivals: MillerCoors Strikes Back
Aficionados of craft beer long ago dismissed Blue Moon, owned by MillerCoors, as a phony
artisanal brew created by a mega-company to exploit a rapidly expanding market. In recent
months, small beermakers have stepped up their attacks, calling suds such as Blue Moon "crafty"
for not spelling out their corporate parentage in ads or on their packaging.
Wal-Mart's New Goal: Sell All the Beer
When Wal-Mart (WMT) began buying a greater number of locally grown fruits and vegetables in
2010, it made sure its efforts got plenty of publicity. But when Walmart decided it wanted to
double its alcohol sales by 2016, it didn't exactly issue a press release.
Social media, hotline help police discover, break up underage drinking parties
Chalk up another tradition being affected by social media: large underage drinking parties.
America Won't Have Enough Grapes To Make All Of The Wine It Wants To Drink
There's a grape shortage developing in the U.S., warns Citi's Gino Rossi and Craig Woolford. And
the roots of this problem originate twenty years ago.