Alcohol makers seek to sell tastes of what they make

Image by Geoff Marshall/TheDigitelImage by 20080930beer.jpg Coast Brewing is one local brewer that would benefit from revised alcohol regulation.

If you ever want to buy a six pack or keg from Coast Brewing, you won't have done it at their brewery.

And that's because South Carolina law requires alcohol to go from maker to distributor to seller to consumer. Alcohol makers think it's an asinine policy too and are petitioning state lawmaker to allow them to sell small amounts straight to the consumer.

Why not ax the law all together? The law exists in purpose to cause alcohol distributors to spend some of their profits on education and preventing alcohol abuse and its problems.

Important for sure, but you could just as easily gather money to fund such community services through any point of sale.

I, for one, hope this law gets some much needed updating. Not only is it a pain, but it's likely stunting the growth of in-state alcohol brewing business.

Head over to The Charleston Regional Business Journal for more on the proposed change.

Update October 6: The Charleston Regional Business Journal has explored the issue in more depth.

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