Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
FROM THE EDITOR Blue's Law l ast month, Connecticut, the state that invented "blue laws" (I take no personal credit for the name), finally repealed the Sunday alcohol ban that had its roots in the stringent regulations established by the Puritans in the 17th century. From 1919 to 1933 this sanction was amplified to a full-time ban by the Volstead Act, otherwise known as Prohibition. But Prohibition ended nearly 80 years ago. Why did this inane law stay on the books until 2012? And who were the 33 benighted legislators in the Connecticut House and Senate who voted to keep it in force? But the lunacy of Connecticut does not stand alone in our fine country. The remnants of religion-fostered blue laws and Prohibition-era silliness are all around us. The county in Tennessee where Jack Daniels is made is a dry county. Even in hang-loose, wine- and cocktail-friendly California, it is still illegal to sell alcohol between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. In New York, the city that never sleeps, better order a few drinks before 4 a.m., because you're not allowed to order another one until after 8 a.m. Is alcohol more dangerous to your health at 5 a.m. than it is at 5 p.m, during "Happy Hour"? Why do we allow neo-Prohibitionists and nanny- staters to dictate when and where we can consume our favorite drinks? Unlike most other enlightened societies, we restrict people from consuming alcohol until they are 21. By choosing that particular age milestone, aren't we saying you can't drink until you're an adult? And adults are, by definition, capable of making sound and reason- able decisions. Doesn't that make all the restrictions redundant and insulting? No, you shouldn't have a bunch of drinks and then jump behind the wheel of your car, but a responsible adult wouldn't do that. Isn't the day of legislating moral- ity and piety long gone? It certainly should be. 8 / the tasting panel / june 2012 PHOTO: CATHY TWIGG-BLUMEL