One by one, bars get tapped out

[harvey007]

Source: Star Tribune

Hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores across Minnesota are running out of beer and alcohol and others may soon run out of cigarettes -- a subtle and largely unforeseen consequence of a state government shutdown.

In the days leading up to the shutdown, thousands of outlets scrambled to renew their state-issued liquor purchasing cards. Many of them did not make it.

Now, with no end in sight to the shutdown, they face a summer of fast-dwindling alcohol supplies and a bottom line that looks increasingly bleak.

"It's going to cripple our industry," said Frank Ball, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, which represents thousands of liquor retailers in the state.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/125459928.html

[Downwinder]

1. Good thing it is not winter.

[FreakinDJ]

2. probably will break the stalemate

[bahrbearian]

14. Either you threaten seniors with losing SS, or you take peoples liquor away.

[Drale]

3. Running out of Alcohol

that will really get the people pissed and make the GOP cave far quicker then otherwise.

[Xipe Totec]

4. You have no idea how right you are nt

[AndyTiedye]

9. A Summer With No Beer???

They're toast!

[struggle4progress]

5. This will make the Republicans popular

:rofl:

[Ragnarok]

6. As a smoker of tobacco...

...this is great. No supply would make it easier to quit, or at least out some space between me and the drug for a short time. Maybe long enough to make it through that first week? Adding a $1 tax, like our Governor is proposing, would make cigarettes about $6.60 a pack which is a lot of money for smokes around here. Make lemonade out of lemons I always say!

[JoeyT]

12. I wish I could be as optimistic as you are.

My first thought was "Give it six hours after the smokes give out and blood will be running through the streets."

And I say that as a fellow smoker of tobacco. ;)

[Thegonagle]

19. Same thought I had. From the same perspective as a former smoker.

It's going to get really ugly when the smokes run out.

[blank space]

15. I dont smoke,

however in Australia cigarettes are well over $20.00 a packet (Aussie dollar is worth more than the US dollar, so add on 7 cents to the dollar), one cigarette is around $1.10 US,

About $25.00 a packet of 25 cigarettes.

Fuel is $1.30-$1.50 a liter in gallons thats about $5.20 - $7.50 a gallon.

We are a primary producing nation which had massive tobacco plantations and we supply much of our oil energy.

[Luminous Animal]

18. Wow! I was there 2 years ago and cigarettes were about $7-$8 USD. They've really gone up!

[elleng]

7. Nothing like Unintended Consequences!

LOVE IT!

[jonthebru]

8. Well "helk"

If I lived in Minnesota I would get up off my chair right this instant and go to the store and buy the alcohol and tobacco I would need for the foreseeable future. At least they have nearby states to go shopping for "necessities" like these.

[comtec]

10. store up and sell them on the black market!!!

craigslist is your friend lol

[StarsInHerHair]

11. so where's the moron who was going around yesterday & before saying

some pathetic troll point--where are the millions suffering? blah, blah

[EC]

13. Maybe they should all be calling their repub

Congress people and Senators and complain...I wonder how many of their customers were those raving for a shut-down thinking it wouldn't affect them...

[wordpix]

31. callingv Michelle Bachman, calling Michelle Bachman...

[geardaddy]

37. She's a US rep

not a state legislator.

[caseymoz]

16. So, people are going to begin to re-discover why government is important.

With the consequences of that Republican "small government" getting in their faces every day.

This will not go well for Repubs, I think. It's a laboratory for the debt ceiling conflict, too. The two parties will be watching what happens in Minnesota very carefully and will alter their policies accordingly.

[Xithras]

24. Or....

The Repubs will use it to argue that the government shouldn't be regulating "who" can sell "what".

I can hear it now; "Why should the government get to decide whether or not you can have a beer?"

[caseymoz]

26. An argument they will either have to retract or lose.

Because then they would be backed into going totally libertarian about drugs, a position that will also split them from the Fundamentalist Christian vote. Also, it's too easy to come up with examples of drunk driving to prove why the people should instruct the government when and under what conditions its proper to imbibe.

What I described there is a bit more closer to what really happens.

[alp227]

17. Prohibition? Moonshine? n/t

[WatsonT]

20. So minnesota is going to be filled with the irate descendents of vikings who can't get their mead?

This could be fun.

[trud]

28. speaking as a descendant of vikings

I remind people of bathtub gin.

[WatsonT]

34. Also might be a good time to organize a homebrew club

I've wanted to join one for some time but don't really have the money/time to really get in to it at the moment. (one day . . . )

Perfectly legal, can be cheaper than buying the stuff outright, and it's fun.

[mysuzuki2]

21. this is just 1 more reason to take up homebrewing.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

25. The Twin Cities has two of the better homebrew shops in the nation ...

... in Northern Brewer (St. Paul) and Midwest Supplies (Minneapolis), plus a very active home brew community.

Thank you President Carter, for signing House Resolution 1377 in 1978, legalizing homebrewing.

[mysuzuki2]

27. We have a Northern Brewer here in Milwaukee too!

I patronize it often. Good store/good folks.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

29. And they just announced a second Twin Cities location, in Minneapolis

A friend lives near Milwaukee who has been to the St. Paul store many times ... says the Milwaukee store is really big and nice. Great staff at NB. Chris runs a good business.

[mac56]

42. True that.

Northern Brewer is about to open a second location in Minneapolis.

Has Midwest Supplies gone online-only now? I haven't been there in a while.

Up around my way, in St Cloud, Minco and Baker's are both well stocked and knowledgeable.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

49. I was at Midwest in December ...

... and was really impressed with the staff, products and how much space they have for retail (it's like walking into Home Depot from that standpoint). Midwest is not convenient for me, but I will go back sometime.

[geardaddy]

38. I heard that WI is trying to pass some BS legislation

making homebrew illegal to transport outside the home.

My brother belongs to a homebrewing club in Green Bay and they're trying to fight it.

[mac56]

43. Good luck with them trying to regulate that one.

:eyes:

[geardaddy]

44. Oh, I know.

But my brother's brewing club is worried, since they are more high profile than just individuals who aren't part of the group.

[mysuzuki2]

46. Hadn't heard that.

half the fun of homebrewing is sharing the results.

[geardaddy]

48. Exactly.

They're trying to make it a tax issue.

[No Elephants]

22. Yep, Rethugs sure know how to help small businesses and create jobs.

In their imagination.

[wordpix]

32. "Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs?"---K.O.

[Islandlife]

23. The Beer Crisis

Could have been avoided if Minnesota could have resolved or settled on a compromise of the Cut vs Tax debate.

The "Beer Crisis" is the first problem brought to light. Probably the most gut wrenching of all crises.

[wordpix]

30. but, but, "We don't need no govermint"

lmao :rofl:

[Bandit]

33. Coors is a Big Republican backer so I say let justice be done.

I hope it takes millions from their Profits this year.

[mysuzuki2]

47. Coors is swill and in itself is no loss.

[Ragnarok]

35. We all realize of course...

...that the same people who issue the "beer licenses" are the ones who also enforce. There's no one to run around busting people for selling Coors or Miller. Anyone busted will likely sue. I predict this will get more headlines than action. Cops don't spend their time sitting outside liquor stores, bait shops and gas stations inspecting labels.

[trud]

36. not sure

I looked at that article, wondering like you if the enforcers were non functional, but it is obscure about whether the paperwork is necessary for those places to buy alcohol to sell.

[geardaddy]

39. I know of one bar that has closed.

It's a shame because it's one of my favorites.

[LibertyLover]

40. I wonder if brewing and distilling your own

will make a strong comeback?

[totodeinhere]

41. Dayton: Will concede to GOP to end Minn. shutdown

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.

[rug]

45. Ok, now it's serious.