Price Of Beer To Go Up, Or Down, Or Something

There are two proposals out there right now, the first of which will raise the price of beer and probably reduce your choices. This is a new federal regulation requiring people selling beer for local consumption to post the nutritional and caloric data for each glass or bottle sold so that consumers will be able to drink without worrying too much about busting their diets or developing the dreaded "brewers droop" AKA "Dunlaps disease" in which your belly has "dunlapped over your belt".

This seems to cost between $500 and $1000 per run and of course is paid for by the consumer.

The other item is a proposal to allow grocery stores to sell full strength beer and wine. This is opposed by liquor store owners who enjoy a state mandated niche market and don't want to see it disappear. If Kroger buys beer from Breckenridge Brewery or wine from the Gallo brothers and places it in their stores, their cost of acquiring the product will be lower than those of the corner liquor store and as a result one would hope that the retail price would be lower. Generally a good thing.

Personally I think grocery stores should be allowed to sell whatever they want. Niche products will be sold in niche stores and if they turn out to be all that good, the big stores will pick them up. It's called capitalism.