Liquor
Trump's Tariffs To Tank Tequila
The owner of a famous cocktail bar in Dallas warns that tariffs on Mexican imports will mean higher menu prices and reduced availability of specialty tequila.
A Scary Government Report Implies That Moderate Drinking Is Manifestly Reckless
The focus on the health risks of alcohol consumption gives short shrift to the reasons people like to drink.
Be Skeptical of 'Beneficially Coercive' New Rules for Booze
A New York Times essay helps illustrate why the surgeon general's new report on alcohol and cancer leaves out crucial context and nuance.
Why We Are Still Arguing About the Health Effects of Moderate Drinking
The evidence is vast but open to interpretation because observational studies are inherently ambiguous.
Review: Illustrating Britain's Victorian Booze Restrictions
Temperance activists argued that "the people" should have a say in how many alcohol sellers could serve a given neighborhood.
Donate to Reason To Keep the New Prohibitionists at Bay
Give us your money to keep the government out of your cocktails, your cherries, your raw milk, your psychedelics, and other forms of fun.
Chicago Mayor Johnson's Budget Betrayal Would Raise Taxes on Small Businesses
A proposed alcohol tax hike will hit immigrant-owned liquor stores while city spending on nonessential projects remains high.
Abolish the Federal Alcohol Tax and Regulation System
The states already overregulate alcohol. There's no need for a federal layer of red tape.
Longtime Ban on Home Distilling May Finally End
Why is making spirits for personal use any of the government’s business in the first place?
Grocery Store Booze Doesn't Hurt Mom-and-Pop Stores
But 11 states still forbid wine from being sold in grocery stores anyway.
Biden's Big Government Solutions Dismiss Customer Welfare
Sen. Rand Paul writes that repealing the Robinson-Patman Act would help bust inflation.
Utah's Straw Test Crackdown
Bureaucratic overreach is stirring up unnecessary trouble for Utah bartenders.
Court Holds Federal Ban on Home-Distilling Exceeds Congress' Enumerated Powers
A potentially important post-NFIB enumerated powers challenge.
Rekindle the Spirit of Independence by Legalizing Home Distilling
A modern legal battle challenges the federal ban on distilling alcohol at home—a favorite hobby of the Founding Fathers.
Will Banning Nonalcoholic Beer Save the Children?
No, but a Stanford psychologist says people under age 21 should be banned from buying some nonalcoholic drinks to protect kids from "drinking culture."
How Michigan Lost $1 Million of Liquor
Sadly, not by drinking it—the government just lost a fifth of the state’s inventory.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Aim To Grant Amnesty To Bars That Violated COVID Lockdown Orders
The move comes in response to Reason's reporting about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's push to crack down on licensees for minor violations racked up during the pandemic.
Liquor Regulators Are Seeking Revenge on Bars That Broke Pandemic Rules
"The people who violated the governor's mandates and orders should face some consequences," a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board member said in 2022.
The Sindex: Cigarette Prices Outpacing Inflation
The Reason Sindex tracks the price of vice: smoking, drinking, snacking, traveling, and more.
Virginia May Finally Fix a Dumb Drink Law
The infamous food-beverage ratio may be reformed, but not abolished.
Study: If You Let People Buy Beer at Grocery Stores, the Liquor Stores Still Survive
Liquor store owners and store association lobbyists claimed that allowing alcohol sales on Sunday would negatively impact their livelihoods.
This Year's Libertarian Gift Guide: 23 Ideas for 2023
In today's innovative economy, there's no excuse for sending a gift card. The staff at Reason is here with some inspiration.
Five Years Later, Philadelphia's Soda Tax Is Falling Flat
The city wanted to bring in more money, in part for early childhood education. But such taxes are disproportionately paid by the poor.
America's Alcohol Czar Wants Stricter Federal Guidelines for Drinking
George Koob says the U.S. could follow Canada's lead and recommend no more than two alcoholic drinks per week.
Season 1, Episode 4 Podcasts
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Bootleggers, Baptists, and Ballots
"You need an argument for why this is good for society. That's important, but you also need money."
Youth Drinking Is Falling, Not Rising
According to a new study there is no correlation between increased youth drinking during COVID and alcohol delivery.
Even Pennsylvanians Can Now Buy Wine in Grocery Stores, but New Yorkers Still Can't
A bill that would expand wine sales in the Empire State is meeting familiar resistance from entrenched interests.
Don't Mix Rare Bourbon With State Power
Oregon liquor regulators were caught diverting prized whiskey for personal use.
In Utah, Bad Booze Bills Never Die
In an attempt to create a new banquet license, a bill introduced in Utah would require every restaurant to build a wall that blocks off its private party space from the rest of the establishment.
Oregon's Whiskey Ring Shows Perils of State Liquor Control
Top government officials reportedly kept rare bourbons for themselves and other powerful insiders.
Decriminalize Moonshine!
Ohio might be on the verge of making home distilling legal—but federal law will still prohibit it.
What 2022 Taught Us About Freeing American Alcohol Markets
Reformers had two years of unprecedented victories—and then protectionists started using scare tactics to block them
The Woman Who Spearheaded Prohibition's Repeal
Pauline Sabin was a freedom-loving heroine.
Open Virginia's Whiskey Market
Freeing up Virginia’s liquor market is more worthwhile than just busting its whiskey black market.
The Biden Administration Can't Make Up Its Mind About Alcohol
Do you want to brag about America’s alcohol industry, or do you want to crack down on it?
The Case for Drinking
Alcohol facilitates human cooperation and creativity on a grand scale, says Edward Slingerland, a philosophy professor at the University of British Columbia.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Say They Want to Loosen Booze Rules. This Proposal Would Do the Opposite.
The fine print of the latest alcohol regulation proposal in Massachusetts is revealing.
Alcohol Delivery Doesn't Lead To Underage Drinking
The history of wine delivery is pretty clear.
Why Are You Boycotting American Vodka To Punish Russia?
Only 1.2 percent of U.S. vodka imports come from Russia.
New York's Liquor Store Lobby Fights Against To-Go Drink Sales by Bars, Restaurants
Making booze to-go rules permanent is the right policy choice, no matter what entrenched interests claim.
Craft Alcohol Makers Thrive as Government Launches Antitrust Investigation
The Prohibition-era three-tier system is causing consolidation, not the market.
Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board Will Ration Booze Sales Because It Won't Admit That Prices Work
Price controls fail for other products, and liquor is no different.
Senators Aim To Curtail Presidential Power Over War, Arms Sales, Emergency Declarations
Plus: The FBI had at least a dozen informants helping put together the plot to kidnap Michigan's governor, price controls fail again, and more.
Let Us Drink Outside! Relaxing Liquor Laws Could Save Bars and Restaurants
Allowing cocktails-to-go and outdoor drinking can help bartenders and restaurant staff survive the COVID-19 shutdowns.
After Pennsylvania Closed All Liquor Stores, Residents Crossed State Borders To Buy Booze. Now Ohio Is Shutting Down Out-of-State Sales.
Border counties are now prohibited from selling to anyone without proof of residency.
Pennsylvania Has Made It Both Difficult and Dangerous to Buy Liquor
The state has shut down all liquor stores, leading customers to crowd into retailers across the border.
