Have One On the House

There’s a food court in a local mall near my house that has two Asian restaurants, and one unusual sandwich and salad type restaurant. The staff members are very friendly and are eager to sell their wares. And so, whenever I go to the mall I make sure I walk around the whole food court once, just so that I can get a little taste of teriyaki chicken and barbecue chicken and a special sort of hot chicken-provolone-ranch sandwich on a toasted bun. Yum! And yes, I have bought each of the items a time or two, although certainly not on every trip to that mall. It’s just fun to have a little taste as I go by.

The well-known restaurants such as McDonald’s and Subway never give out samples. I expect that everyone already knows what their food tastes like, and the lines are always a little longer there already.

Upstairs there used to be a wine store that gave out samples. This was interesting, as people were able to drink a very small sample of several types before deciding on which bottle to buy.

This will now be available here in Tennessee. In August 2011 Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation that will allow restaurants, bars and liquor stores to provide samples of alcoholic drinks for people to try. The tastings are intended for sales, education and promotional purposes, and the events must be held on the premises of a licensed retail location. Tennessee is now the 43rd state to allow for this.

The Vice-President of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), Ben Jenkins, said, “For brand owners seeking to introduce premium products, sampling laws provide an excellent opportunity. Tasting events allow consumers to sample more premium products before making the important buying decision. So, this is a win-win for both retailers and consumers, and we commend Governor Haslam and the State Legislature for modernizing Tennessee’s liquor laws.” Jenkins added that,“Spirits tastings, like wine tastings, ultimately generate revenue for the state by boosting consumer interest in premium products.”

That’s what the opponents are afraid of. Do we really want to “boost” the revenue that is received in Tennessee by encouraging more people to drink more liquor? Haven’t states already found that when it leads many to alcoholism it ends up costing the state more than they could ever bring in? The losses due to extra cost for law enforcement and jails, the losses due to people missing work and paying fewer taxes, and the losses due to more people ending up on various welfare programs – all of these are not really bringing in revenue in the long run.