Update On New York Liquor Laws And Tuthilltown Spirits

Back in February, I posted an entry about a particularly inane liquor-related law in New York.

I just got a follow-up about that episode from the person featured in it, Ralph Erenzo of Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery in Gardiner, New York. He posted his comment at the original post, but I re-post it here for the edification of all:

Update: After we managed to get Gov. Spitzer to sign the Farm Distillers law, the State Liquor Authority interpreted the law strictly and required holders of the A-1 micro distiller's license to give up that license to acquire the Farm Distillers license (which for us would have meant dropping half our product for the right to have a tasting room and direct sale to consumers). The SLA insisted we must start another company, in a different building, build a new distillery to acquire the Farm Distillery license. It took another round of legislation to amend the law to include the specific words permitting the holding of both an A-1 and a Farm Distillers license concurrently. Gov. Paterson signed S2075 into law recently which specifically permits distillers to hold various licenses at the same time (the way wineries and breweries have been able to do for years).

Sooooo...... something for which to be thankful on this day of thanks. Now, if only various other dumbass liquor laws could or would be changed so that I could buy some of Tuthilltown's products and have them delivered to me here in Iowa.

Sigh. That day may never come............

I'll have to wait till next time I'm in NYC and then, gee, make a trip to Gotham Bar or MOMA restaurant or one of those other dens of iniquity that sell exquisite fabulous food and drink so I can taste some of Ralph's wares and won't THAT be a hardship??

More Repeal-Related Stuff

Amy Mittelman is blogging about repeal. You can read it here. Also, sociologist David Hanson has been writing a series of columns about the way repeal unfolded in various states. You can read his take on Texas here. Tip o' the mug to David Fahey at the Alcohol and Drugs Society's Daily Register.

What Are Your Plans For Repeal Day?

So asks Jeffrey Morgenthaler (*1). A bunch of people have replied on his blog, so he's compiling what amounts to an ad hoc national list of places to celebrate on December 5th. Me? I'll be at home doing my usual stay-at-home thing. But my husband and I will hoist one in honor of the day.

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*1: I mentioned Jeffrey a few blog entries back. He's the guy who's promoting National Repeal Day.

Speaking Of Repeal And December 5

On December 5, the Cato Institute will hold a forum on the subject of prohibition and repeal. Yes, it will also run live on the web. Tip o' the mug to Jacob Grier, who alerted me to this event.

"Repeal Day" As National Holiday?

Jeffrey Morganthaler (mixologist and blogger in Eugene, Oregon) argues that December 5 ought to be a national holiday. Read about it here. And here's a link to his Repeal Day site. He may be on to something.

Detour From Beer: Lower Drinking Age? Won't Solve the Real Problem

I'm on record as supporting rational drinking. You can read my earlier posts by clicking on the tag titled "rational drinking."

So of course I was more-or-less glad to hear that 100 college presidents support lowering the drinking age to 18. (There's are lots of reports online; here's one of them.)

But let's get real. Lowering the drinking age won't solve the underlying problem. It'll make the life easier for the nation's police (fewer lawbreakers to arrest), but . . . that's about all it would do.

Because, as I've said here before, the real problem isn't the drinking age. (Also see any of the other blog entries under the "rational drinking" category.) The real problem is that Americans demonize rather than respect alcohol, and infantalize drinking.

Worse yet, we ignore the fact that alcohol is an ancient and normal part of human life. No surprise, we don't teach kids to respect alcohol. We don't teach them how to drink. So what we get are teen-agers and young adults who, ya know, don't know how to drink.

Why do we treat alcohol and drinking so differently than, say, cars and driving? We know that putting an untrained driver behind the wheel of a car is dangerous. We TEACH kids to drive before we turn them loose with the car keys. We should treat alcohol the same way: In the hands (mouths) of the inexperienced and untrained, alcohol can be dangerous.

So we should TEACH kids about alcohol's role in human life and how to use it responsibly. Until we start doing that, lowering the drinking age ain't gonna do a bit of good.