I won a gift certificate for Port Townsend Brewery at the park’s annual celebration, so I put it to case of 12 22’s, their basic IPA which is most popular around here. I’ll grab another case of the amber before I leave.
To my friends in Nebraska: beer comes in varieties and flavors that astound the palate. Bud Light and Coors Light is not beer, though it does contain water and alcohol.
Washington state government got out of the wine industry a long time ago, by popular initiative. This amounted to an explosion of planting grapes, making wine, and selling the final product. Later, by popular initiative, the beer industry was de-regulated, leading to a huge explosion of beer makers. Washington wines and beers have become highly regarded products world-wide.
But the State of Washington still controlled the distribution of those products. Costco (a Washington corporation) mounted an initiative to get the government out of distribution and retail sales. The result has been an astounding rise in labels found on the shelf, a dramatic upshift in quality, and a surprising drop in prices.
Let me emphasize something here: the changes in the state laws were done by the popular vote, not by the elected legislature.
Spirits are horribly over-taxed in Washington, but I expect that will be corrected by the usual means.
Popular vote has legalized Marijuana in Washington state. There is no history of production, processing, or sales, or any regulation by the state whatsoever. It’s been illegal. Getting caught with a pinch of weed can get you 30 years in the slammer.
Pot will improve in quality, drop in price, and show up in more places. Exactly what happened with wine and beer.