Does the government discriminate agaist beer drinkers?

Blisterman

The government exempts businesses which sell only wine from many licencing and planning restrictions, but not beer, despite it generally having less alcohol.

Obviously the government believes the fallacy that somehow wine drinkers are inherently more sophisticated than beer drinkers. A glance at teenagers swigging back bottles of buckfast, quickly ends that misconception.

I don't want to get into a beer v wine debate. Afterall, all alcoholic drinks, will inherently have people who knock them back to get drunk, and those who appreciate them for their flavour.

What are your opinions on the issue? Personally I think, if they want to make exceptions, base it on the ABV, rather than the type of drink. This could have the side effect of helping Irish brewers by providing more outlets for them to be sold.

Bigcheeze

Blisterman wrote: »

Obviously the government believes the fallacy that somehow wine drinkers are inherently more sophisticated than beer drinkers.

Not sure if that's the reason. It's more likely down to the fact that establishments selling beer are a competitive threat to Fianna Fails's friends in the pub industry.

IrishWhiskeyCha

A licence is still required to sell wine so not as discriminatory as you think but I think a beer & Spirits licence is quite expensive and there is/was a limit on the amount full bar licences. Therefore you could totally swap this argument around and say that it is actually more discriminatory against the wine bar licence holders ...

rubadub

A licence is still required to sell wine so not as discriminatory as you think but

My mates father owned a restaurant and had only a wine licence and couldn't get a beer licence AFAIK, think they were after one for years.

I was surprised to hear eddie rockets were selling pitchers of beer, they said you had to get a meal, but lads said a large burger qualified for this.

This could have the side effect of helping Irish brewers by providing more outlets for them to be sold.

+1, esp. as people might read the blurb on the menu and actually try a different beer for once in their life. Go into most bars and you just see the decent beer in the distant fridge -if at all, the place is packed and most barmen are clueless so they go with the old faithful heineken or whatever instead.

the beer revolu

I agree completely with the op.
Every second butcher's and convenience shop seem to have an inexpensive licence to sell wine.
It is completely discriminatory and idiotic.

Yes, if different beverages are to be treated differently then it should be based on ABV.

BeerNut

Blisterman wrote: »

Obviously the government believes the fallacy that somehow wine drinkers are inherently more sophisticated than beer drinkers.

I think there's definitely a bit of that to the legislation. But it's partly a reflection of reality. A lot of Irish drinkers really do believe that beer's only place is in the pub or home session, while wine is the only proper accompaniment to food. Attitudes to beer-and-food have a long way to go in this country. We just about have a handful of pubs serving restaurant-quality food to go with good beers, but there are very very few quality restaurants that have decent beer lists (thinking The Winding Stair in Dublin and Fenn's Quay in Cork). We even had a poster on this board decrying the very notion of a high-end restaurant serving beer. It's just not done :rolleyes: Lowers the tone, dontcherknow.

Blisterman wrote: »

if they want to make exceptions, base it on the ABV

I don't think this makes any more sense. How about limiting the amount of drink that can be sold to any one customer per day? That's as logical as the other conditions.

rubadub

BeerNut wrote: »

I don't think this makes any more sense. How about limiting the amount of drink that can be sold to any one customer per day? That's as logical as the other conditions.

It would be harder to do, you could just visit several shops, you would need some card or something. I am very liberal when it comes do drug laws but I do think spirits should be 21+, in the states you can see varying laws regarding spirits, e.g. not being sold in grocery stores or after certain hours in some states
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alcohol_laws_of_the_United_States_by_state

Norway has similar restrictions on sales and do have different age limits.

You must be at least 18 years old to purchase beer/wine and 20 years old to purchase spirits (alcohol levels of 22% and above) in Norway.

The duty on drink is already related to % here, cider being higher than beer. I never realised there were so many categories. http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/excise/duties/excise-duty-rates.html

Even a age limit on weak beer would be an idea -in some other thread I mentioned drinking 2% beer abroad and I could not imagine being able to get easily plastered on it. Sort of like not allowing provisional drivers on motorways!

BeerNut

rubadub wrote: »

It would be harder to do, you could just visit several shops

We were talking about the conditions attached to the licensee's licence. Consumer behaviour isn't relevant.