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Warmest beer in town
Missouri legislator would outlaw sale of cold beer
Jan 6, 2006 - A Missouri state senator has begun a campaign against selling cold beer.
Sen. Bill Alter introduced a bill that would keep grocery and convenience from selling beer colder than 60 degrees. He said his goal is to cut down on drunken driving. "The only reason why beer would need to be cold is so that it can be consumed right away," Alter said. He said the idea came from a fifth-grade student in Jefferson County who was participating in a program to teach elementary students about state government. He sought their suggestions for new laws and chose the cold beer ban from a list of the top three ideas. Lawmakers and lobbyists didn't seem impressed. Ron Leone, executive vice president for the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, said the combination of Missouri's drinking and driving laws and designated driver programs already have curbed the number of people who drink and drive. "It would be an inconvenience for law-abiding citizens who want to purchase cold beer for picnics, parties and social gatherings," he said. "People who want to drive drunk will drive drunk anyway." Oklahoma has a law against selling "strong" beer cold, but convenience stores are permitted to sell beer up to 3.2% by weight (4% abv) cold.
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