Tennessee politics seems to work the same way, with the collusive old-boys just diluting the truth. m/r
A Maddening Whiskey Shortage | The American Spectator
Tennessee’s alcohol politics put entrenched interests first.
Tennessee is known for many things: country music, Elvis’s Graceland estate, beautiful mountains, and fine liquor. The state produces both moonshine (some of which is now being made licitly) and its own kind of whiskey. Like bourbon, nearly all Tennessee whiskey is made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak barrels. Distillers in the Volunteer State go a step further and run the liquor through sugar-maple charcoal before putting it in cask.
Tennessee also is a case study in corrupt, consumer-unfriendly alcohol politics. Consider: Jack Daniel’s is an iconic, global brand. The company recently announced a $140 million expansion of its operations, which comes just a few years after a $103 million build-out. More than a quarter-million thirsty tourists come to the distillery each year. Yet, Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg is located in a dry county. Really. Moore County (population 6,322) generally prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages by shops and restaurants.
Moore County, it should be noted, is not an oddball. Until 2009, distilleries were permitted to operate in only three of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Perhaps in recognition that distilling jobs are economy-growing manufacturing jobs, the state Legislature lifted the cap to 44 counties.
It is a confounding situation. Every time an effort to make Tennessee’s alcohol laws more consumer-friendly and market-based, a political hullabaloo erupts. ...
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