Sample the beer before you buy it

[Winterblues]

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington lawmakers have approved a pilot program that will allow beer and wine tasting in 30 grocery stores statewide in an effort to market local products.

:beer: :bounce: :party: :bounce:

The measure now heads to the governor, after passing the Senate 29-17 on Monday. It earlier passed the House.
The one-year program, strongly supported by the state's microbrewery and wine industries, allows shoppers to sample as much as 4 ounces of beer or wine. Supporters say it allows small wineries or breweries with no marketing budget to get their products out to the public.
But opponents contend the program sets a bad example by exposing children to alcohol consumption.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_fe_st/beer_tasting_2

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. A bad example?

A bad example is telling a child that alcohol is "evil" and keeping them away from it. Then when they hit puberty, they sample it - forbidden fruit.

A bad example is abusing alcohol and giving it to minors.

Letting adults sample micro brews is fine in my book.

[Warpy]

2. Prissy people need to know that children are exposed

to all sorts of "evil" in their own homes, especially right wing Christian homes with all sorts of morbid religious scruples.

I'm for anything that will wean people off the carbonated cat pee represented by major brands.

[Tempest]

3. One question

Does the law remove liability to stores if they give a sample to a drunk and he goes and kills someone while driving? If the store is the last place he was served, they are legally liable.

[TransitJohn]

7. I'm sure that varies state to state

and have no idea how they do it there. Here in Wyoming, for example, bar/liquor store owners have absolutely no liability.

[Tempest]

9. I haven't lived in WA state for 8 years

But when I was living there bars/liquor stores did have liability.

[Elspeth]

10. My question exactly: what about blood alcohol level and drunk driving?

Seems like asking for trouble.

[RB TexLa]

4. At Schwegmann Brothers supermarket you just drank your beer as you shopped

paid for it with your groceries. There were no IDs checked.

[parasim]

5. Not such a good idea, imho.

Having both parents who were alcoholics, I'd say it's not a good idea to provide an additional temptation for them to deal with.

As for me personally, it'd be great to be able to taste microbrews and whatnot, just like I loved to able to do it when I recently went to Sea World and went to the Brewmasters club for some free beer and the chance to check out brands that I had not tried before. (they all sucked, btw, but then again, it is Budweiser)

But even in there, you could see the challenge that the bartenders had in making sure somebody didn't hoodwink them into getting more than the allotted two beers... Nothing like a pissed off/drunken tourist...

[Winterblues]

6. Let's see if I can hit six stores in a couple of hours

four ounces of wine per store, free buzz yeah. :bounce:

[galledgoblin]

8. very cool idea (n/t)

[alarimer]

11. They do wine samples at my local HEB

But nowhere near 4 ounces. More like a thimbleful. Enough to decide whether you like it or not.

[damntexdem]

12. Ishve shamppled thish beer an itsch chust fvine.

[libnnc]

13. They have wine tastings at the Harris Teeter

where we shop every week.