Liquor sales

Ah, the land of the free:

My pretty and youthful wife forgot her identification, so we were 86'd from Applebee's (OK, really we were just told we couldn't sit in the "bar area," but who would want to sit anywhere else in that establishment?).

The state Legislature is working on a bill that would allow out-of-state wineries and breweries to sell directly to retailers the same way in-state outfits do (no word on distilleries, because of course you can't buy spirits such as those at the market here). The legislation is essentially a court-ordered remedy to Washington's illegal system of discriminating against out-of-state (but in-country, for Christ's sake) businesses.

A fifth of Laphroiag costs $50 in Washington but $40 in New Hampshire. Maker's Mark has the same markup, $30 instead of $20.

So.