News
NC ranks among highest taxes by state on distilled spirits and beer
Distilled spirits and beer taxes in NC rank fifth and sixth highest nationwide respectively.
Opinion
Consumers know what they want, and they don’t want Russian vodka
A ban on Russian vodka, a move by many U.S. states and countries, is wholly symbolic. We, as Amercians and North Carolinians, don’t drink Russian vodka. Why would we? It generally doesn’t taste better and, actually, is mass-produced and probably more watered down than liquor made in smaller batches, most especially products made in North...
Opinion
Public backlash ensures distillers’ good deed goes unpunished
Assigning infallibility to government action is a fool’s errand. It’s a common refrain in libertarian and conservative circles, and its truth is grounded in history, as well as the government’s continuing and ubiquitous intrusion and overreach. I won’t take credit for the aforementioned paraphrased statement because Scott Maitland said it this week as we talked...
Opinion
People want to buy liquor, so N.C. should make it as easy as possible
Virginia, also — like North Carolina — an alcohol control state, is allowing distillers to deliver to people’s homes. It’s a big step, and it would be great if North Carolina found a way to implement a similar service, for myriad reasons, which I’ll get to. The state deems N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control stores essential...
Opinion
Defenders of state ABC system inadvertently show why it needs replacement
Walter Harris, chairman of the Chatham County Alcoholic Beverage Control board, told WUNC’s Frank Stasio he’s been told North Carolina is among the country’s best at selling hard liquor. Taken without context, Harris may well be correct. North Carolina controls every aspect of the statewide liquor market, including storage, distribution, and sales. The state, so...
Opinion
Helping craft distillers could have positive effect on how others view N.C.
People love lists, and certain niche websites thrive on them. Take these lists, of course, for what they are. What they are, in most cases, are random, subjective thoughts combined with compelling photos and short, sometimes funny narratives. North Carolinians should love these lists, though, because they often praise our state in a host of...
News
Virginia bill would require vote for counties to go ‘dry’
For a town or any municipality in North Carolina to serve mixed drinks, residents must first approve the move via referendum. The only truly “dry” county in North Carolina is Graham, in the southwestern part of the state. Virginia has taken a different approach. A measure in the legislature, Senate Bill 1110, would make the...
Opinion
Control? For N.C. ABC, business is booming
The N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has released its initial 2018 annual report, the pages of which are filled with colorful photos of smiling people and happy numbers. Proponents of our ABC system make so much of the commission’s power and propensity to “control” — rather than sell and market — spirits in North Carolina....
Opinion
Distillers, brewers, winemakers play big, giving role in communities
Scott Smith, one of the partners who own and run Outer Banks Distilling in Manteo, loves his job. That’s no surprise, after all. He makes rum, and lots of people are buying it. But he and his partners do other things, too. Things that mean a lot to a lot of people. He does things...
Opinion
Bill could give distilleries shot they need to become real economic players in N.C.
Senate Bill 155 would, among many other things, allow restaurants to sell alcohol before noon on Sundays. That’s good news for restaurants, but only those open for Sunday brunch and only those with a permit to sell alcohol. Many media outlets reporting about the bill have grabbed onto this provision, although why isn’t exactly clear....
News
Booze on the Ballot Across North Carolina
RALEIGH — While it could be a stretch to say that politics are driving people to drink, in a number of municipalities across North Carolina, voters will be deciding issues related to alcohol. Of the 49 local issues on the ballot in the Tar Heel State, a majority — 26 — have to do with the sale of alcohol.
