Combs Spouts Off

"It's my opinion and it's very true."

  • Calendar

    March 2024
    S M T W T F S
     12
    3456789
    10111213141516
    17181920212223
    24252627282930
    31  
  • Recent Posts

  • Tag Cloud

  • Archives

3/13 beer smash

Posted by Richard on March 13, 2009

The Colorado House Business Affairs and Labor Committee killed a bill on Wednesday that would have allowed supermarkets and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer instead of 3.2% beer. Ari Armstrong is upset about it.

The audacious Armstrong, publisher of FreeColorado.com, has organized a protest taking place on the west steps of the Capitol at 11 AM Friday, March 13. Via email (emphasis added):

"Grocery stores have a right to sell regular beer to consenting adults, and beer drinkers have the right to shop at stores of their choice. By killing Bill 1192 Wednesday, the legislature maintained unjust protectionism at the cost of individual liberty, property rights, and freedom of association," said Ari Armstrong.

Armstrong will smash beer bottles from Colorado brewers who endorsed protectionism. The event will feature appropriate measures for safety and cleanup, so no beer or glass will be left on state property.

"The protectionists are smashing our liberty, so it's only appropriate that we smash their beer," Armstrong said.

I've got to admit I have mixed feelings about this. I agree completely with Ari that this is unjust protectionism, and that the State of Colorado should long ago have abandoned this vestige of prohibitionism (I believe only six states still have 3.2% beer). I'm utterly contemptuous of legislators who argued that this bill would promote teenage alcohol abuse.

But… but… but… 

The idea of smashing perfectly good, drinkable bottles of beer just disturbs me deeply. 

I think I've got a tear in my eye.

Subscribe To Site:

2 Responses to “3/13 beer smash”

  1. Hathor said

    Did you ever wonder the reasoning when you were in Tennessee, during the 60’s why you could buy beer in a grocery store and not wine, and go to a tavern that sold only beer and not liquor or wine?

    In Pennsylvania we buy liquor and wine from the state and beer either from a distributor or some places that sell food, not in grocery store.

    Colorado is not the only state that has things that make you go “hmmmmmmmmmmm”

  2. rgcombs said

    I’m about to return to Tennessee, and I’ll have to remind myself again that I can’t get beer at a liquor store, which seems totally bizarre.

    I remember big political battles over liquor by the drink in Gatlinburg. The moonshiners and Baptist preachers, an unholy alliance if ever there was one, held sanity and profit at bay for many years.

    At least in Colorado (and Tennessee, for that matter) we don’t have government-monopoly liquor stores. So I guess I should shut up and be glad it’s not worse. 🙂

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.