Good luck 3.2% Beer, it was a not so good run!

A glorious picture of a Missouri gas station, soon Kansas gas stations will be able to look like this
If you are a craft beer fan at all or spent any time in Kansas you know the prevalence of 3.2% ABW (roughly 4% ABV) beer. I’m not going to rehash all the quirky Kansas alcohol laws, because we discussed them ad nauseam here. With the increased market share of craft beer, and the lobbying power that comes with it time they are a changin. Kansas has officially joined the new millenium and legalized the sale of real beer (up to 6%) at gas stations and grocery stores, and it will become official this spring. So still no Tank 7 at Quick-Trip. As with anything in politics, there is always a compromise, so now your Kansas liquor stores can also sell mixers, fruit, lottery tickets, cigarettes, and other alcohol paraphernalia. As any Kansan can relate, there is nothing worse than going to your liquor store, then having to stop by Hy-Vee to get a lemon or lime.

Kansas also will start allowing alcohol sales at 6 a.m., self-serve beer taps, and alcohol laced candy. I didn’t even know alcohol laced candy existed, but if someone has any, please send it my way, I’d like to check it out. USNews, does a good summary here.

ABC news just released a good article summarizing all the issues with 3.2% beer, and how Oklahoma and Colorado are repealing their 3.2% laws. This just leaves Minnesota and Utah as the last holdouts, so read the fine print on your beer when vacationing there.

Finally here is another good read on the subject that goes into a little more depth and discusses many people’s fear of this allowing the big box stores to take out all the local liquor stores.

Cheers,
Brett A. Myces

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