This State Took A Bold Stand Against Margarita Pitchers

In what may be the shortest-lived piece of alcohol-serving legislation, ever, the state of Alabama banned the sale of margaritas — and all other alcoholic beverages other than beer — in pitchers.

Just a day later, the new ruling was overturned, proving that the government has no place in the regulation of frozen beverages.

According to GrubStreet, Alabama’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (or the ABC) claimed that only beer should be served in pitchers. Why? Alcohol isn't evenly distributed in such large vessels, for one, and the organization claims that people could possibly order a pitcher and consume it by themselves.

Technically, the law cited a statutory code that prohibits the "adulteration, contamination, or fortification of booze except at bars and restaurants when a customer orders a chaser, mixed drink, or cocktail."

Dean Argo, the regulations manager at the ABC, explained that the new law was to keep bars and restaurants honest, instead of maybe shorting diners on alcohol when they order up a pitcher of margaritas. Wary restaurants were taking pitchers of sangria off the menu back in June when they first caught wind of the law from ABC inspectors. While the law was actually in effect for just a single day, Argo noted that restaurants could give patrons all the fixings of a margarita or a pitcher-sized mixed drink and let the customers play mixologist.

But the ABC must have seen the error of its ways, because it overturned the ban, much to the relief of happy hour attendees across the state of Alabama. After the entire incident settled down, Argo said that the ABC was considering a reversal as soon as the law went into effect. The Associated Press reports that the situation stemmed from new inspectors that didn't know how to interpret the ABC's rules and regulations.

Alabamans are surely raising their pitchers in celebration today.