At Press Time

LIQUOR  LICENSES in Massachusetts have long been notoriously difficult to obtain. And when they are available their price can be on a par with a king’s ransom. But under a new proposal from Governor Patrick there could soon be more licenses available throughout the state. Currently, the number of licenses... Read More

LABEL ’EM WARNED The Alston Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force and Youth Coalition has launched a sticker shock campaign targeting adults in the community. The stickers placed on multi-packs of alcoholic beverages at liquor stores, remind adults that it is illegal to provide alcohol for people under 21. The  campaign... Read More

TRUTH IS SOMETIMES STRANGER THAN FICTION. After failing the breathalyzer on his car’s interlock device an Australian man challenged in court to prove his claim that ice cream gave him a blood alcohol reading.  Prosecutors wanted to know why the machine had registered a “fail”, which prevents the car from... Read More

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR DWI COURTS (NCDC) and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) are joining forces to launch a national campaign aimed at establishing best practices for DWI Courts and determining national policy issues on drunk driving as it relates to DWI Courts. Last year over 17OOO people... Read More

CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC. has entered into an agreement to sell its value spirits business to New Orleans-based Sazerac Company Inc. for $334 million, subject to closing adjustments. The transaction was expected to close by the end of February. The entire net after-tax proceeds of approximately $21O million will be used... Read More

ACROSS THE COUNTRY state budgets everywhere are desperately in need of additional revenue. In New Hampshire, the hope is that a change in the way liquor is sold will generate much needed funds to help with the $25O million deficit the state is facing. New Hampshire State Liquor Commissioner Mark... Read More

IT’S BUTT’S OUT TIME IN BOSTON. In December Boston health regulators banned cigarette sales in drugstores and on college campuses, giving the city some of the most stringent antismoking laws in the nation. The rules, approved unanimously by the Boston Public Health Commission, mean that starting in February, about 75... Read More

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERIES WON both the “Distiller of the Year” and “Visitor Attraction of the Year” awards during the presentation of whisky magazine’s “Icons of Whisky-USA” which are “designed to celebrate the people and places behind the greatest whiskies in the world,” according to the organizers. The winners of the... Read More

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FAMOUSLY DECLARED that in life “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” That certainly is true, but it can also be added that, in times of recession, one thing is certain: drinking. According to a recent Nielson Company trends report, consumers continue to see alcoholic beverages as an... Read More

ON JANUARY 2O 2OO9, at precisely the time that President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office in Washington, DC, the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, will stop and set aside a barrel of Tennessee Whiskey to mark the swearing-in of the 44th President. The distillery will call this... Read More