Senators Simpson and Alting have introduced SB 75 which would allow microbreweries to sell carryout beer on Sundays. But, no more than a quarter barrel to any one customer.
Again, I think treating sales of alcohol different than sales of other products is fairly stupid, but if the General Assembly is going to continue to ban Sunday sales generally, I’m in favor of this relaxation of the rules. In my case, I suppose it would mean the Lafayette Brewing Company would be an option for Sunday purchases. I suspect Sen. Alting is aware of the fine folks at LBC. They have a restaurant business that is open on Sundays in any case.
The biggest deal with this bill is that it allows microbreweries to be on par with wineries. In Indiana, wineries are allowed to sell wine on Sundays.
But Jason….the children! What about the children! According the the blue-noses, teenagers are dying to get drunk on Sundays by purchasing $12 six-packs from microbrewers, and you are playing right into their hands. Remember the children!
C’mon, bluenoses? You wanna fight them see the Republican caucus. This fight is about money, and what ought at least to give you pause is that it’s about the power of interstate (“grocery”, but that includes Wal*Mart) interests, and the 900-pound gorilla of state-licensed (and state-protected) liquor distributors, to eventually wear down General Assembly “resistance” with continued applications of grease. You remember Beer Baronage? The only freedom that one gave you is the freedom to pay 50% more per six-pack overnight. That, and drink Coors Light, but we’re talking about human consumables for the moment.
Doug’s convinced that Sunday sales will drive out only skid-row, short dogs-and-single-cigarette sties; my concern is that, by increasing the cost of running a package store, but only the profit in running a megagrocery, we drive out the competition between specialists, thus raising the price of everything that isn’t brought in by the container load. Kroger doesn’t give a shit if you prefer Glen Ord to Glenlivet, or if you want to drink Oregon pinot rather than Australian Overnight Plonk. They stock what moves. And the big purchasers call the shots. Sunday sales may not, of themselves, eliminate decent selection in your general vicinity, but whatever pro-distributor, pro-big volume legislation follows that might begin to.
If you’re really just interested in freedom you’ll support direct shipments to individuals which don’t require jumping through hoops on your way to personally visit the shipper, you’ll support out-of-state distributors doing business in Indiana, and direct importing by retail licensees, and focus a little less on the tyranny of having to buy enough beer for Sunday by 1 AM that morning.
The particular bill that this post discusses would allow brewers to sell carryout beer on Sundays the same way that wineries sell carryout wine on Sundays. That’s it. I support everything you mention in your last paragraph. The bill we are discussing is about allowing Indiana brewers to sell beer directly to consumers seven days a week. I have no earthly clue why you are hollering at me about beer barons and Wal-Mart.
Personally as someone who does not drink alcoholic beverage just cause I do not like them—-would hope one day to see removal of all restrictions on days of week a business may operate. Why not be able to shop on Sunday same as any other day of the week be it alcohol or cars? It is time for the legislators to stop the influence of some lobby groups and move to where customers are being served. The “blue” laws have outlived their time, if, ever they should have existed.
Doghouse, if I support freedom, I suspect I’ll support a law that allows anyone to sell whenever they want to. Or, maybe you’re talking about something else?
Maybe DR is a wine snob??
I re-read your post Doghouse, and I get the point about distributors. That’s another arcane law that’s turned into protection. Needs to go.
As to the specialty stores, they stock what moves, too, lest they put themselves out of business. Yes, they will take chances and work somewhat harder to cultivate specialty tastes, but even then only to a point.
But to your point, the middleman, add-nothing-of-value distributor system has to go.
I don’t drink very often at all, and never drink beer, but I suspect that since wineries are allowed to have Sunday sales , then microbreweries will eventually be allowed to have Sunday sales. After that, it won’t be long before Wal-Mart, Kroger, CVS, and the rest of the chain retailers that sell alcoholic beverages will get to have Sunday sales. Just a couple more dominos to go.