PORTLAND (AP) — Maine’s craft beer industry and a state lawmaker are trying to repeal an arcane law that bans bars and breweries from publicly displaying a beer’s alcohol content.
The 1937 law resurfaced recently when a state liquor inspector told a Bangor-area brewer to stop listing alcohol percentages. Since then, other brewers and taverns have been asked to erase the information.
The reason for the law, enacted just a few years after Prohibition ended, is unclear. The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1nN1rxw ) reported it appears it was aimed at advertisements selling beer based solely on strength.
Brewers say the information is crucial for the modern consumer judging a beer’s potency.
Ellsworth state Rep. Louis Luchini has proposed an emergency bill to repeal the rule. He says posting alcohol content ensures consumers know what they’re buying.
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