Beer Delivered (Virginia)

A new state law allows businesses to deliver beer and wine, and some stores are already signing up. The Midtowne Market in Harrisonburg just started delivering beer and wine to doorsteps throughout the city. While the owner, Chris Straub, says it will be great for his business, there are some concerns of having this service in a college town and he will have to be careful.

"Fortunately we'll be taking just credit cards, so that way we're going to have automatically going to have two forms of ID to check when we show up there," says Straub. "The first thing, we check that person who made the order and anyone who is in the vicinity and anyone that's underage we can't do it anymore, that's too bad."

Co-owner David Miller says his delivery workers learned some obvious signals to watch for when it comes to checking a person's legal ability to purchase alcohol.

"Cracks and peeling in the lamination. If you have multi-layers under the ID, all these things, the ABC is really good about providing us with enough information to make sure that we are in compliance, and the same tactics are employed when on the road," says Miller.

While delivering alcohol may be seen by some as promoting drinking, it does have at least one advantage when it comes to drivers on the roads.

"At the same time, we're keeping drunks off the road by going over and bringing the beer to them. So if people run out of beer, they're not going to feel pressured to get on the roads to come get it," says Straub.

"There's always going to be that 16 year old out there trying to find a way to get alcohol. We're just not going to be the ones helping them," says Miller.

There is a four-case maximum on how much beer can be delivered, and the store has to report the amount of purchases to the ABC once a month. And even though getting a license to deliver beer took a little bit of time, some paperwork, and a $65 fee, Miller believes it will be worth it.


52. Panels to Highlight Evolving Beer Industry at NBWA's 70th Annual Convention and Trade Show (Virginia)

NBWA
September 13, 2007

Two timely discussion panels - Putting Distributors First: What Does That Mean? and Future Fabric of America: The Changing Faces of Beer - will round out an impressive schedule at the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) 70th Annual Convention and Trade Show. The premiere event in the beer industry will take place September 30-October 3, 2007, in exciting Las Vegas at the Bally's and Paris Hotels.

"The beer industry is constantly evolving, and it's crucial for distributors to keep pace with everything that is happening around them," said NBWA President Craig Purser. "We're excited to offer attendees a spectacular lineup of speakers, panels and education seminars to help them stay on the cutting edge."

Putting Distributors First: What Does That Mean? will take a close look at how NBWA and beer distributors are shifting strategies and tactics in order to address efforts to deregulate alcohol and ensure that alcohol control remains in the hands of the states. Steve Lytle, president and CEO of Mt. Hood Beverage in Oregon, will moderate this panel of beer distributors, regulators and control advocates.

John Dickerson, Dickerson Distributing Co.

Phillip Terry, Monarch Beverage Inc.

Lynn Walding, Iowa Department of Alcoholic Beverages

Future Fabric of America: The Changing Faces of Beer, moderated by Bump Williams of Information Resources Inc. (IRI), will bring together a distinguished panel of experts from the area of marketing, finance, retail and beer distribution to discuss the demographic and cultural changes that are currently affecting the American beer market.

Panelists will include:

Kevin Bartholomew, Ben E. Keith Co. Distributing

Jennifer Elena, Crosby-Volmer International Communications

Kaumil Gajrawala, UBS Investment Research

Robert Gulley, BP

The Convention's General Session will also feature Miller Brewing Company CEO Tom Long as well as Daniel Pink, the best-selling author of A Whole New Mind. Pink is an expert on innovation, competition and the changing world of work. Political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin will speak on October 2; they will provide an overview of the current state of politics from both the left and right sides of the aisle and share their predictions for the 2008 elections.