The Battle For Cold Beer Cold Beer Commences

This Thursday, the battle for cold beer in Indiana’s gas stations and convenience stores commences. While it may seem like a slam-dunk case for opponents of the law, there are some lawyers and legal professionals who believe otherwise. If you live in Indiana or are thinking about moving there in the near future, you should pay close attention to the court’s ruling, as this may affect you.

Under current state law, it’s illegal for gas stations and convenience stores in Indiana to sell cold beer. This doesn’t necessarily prohibit them from selling beer, wine or alcoholic beverages, but they can not place it in the coolers; therefore, customers are forced to drink room-temperature brew rather than a frosty, ice-cold brew.

The Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association argue that gas stations and convenience stores are placed at a serious disadvantage given the fact that restaurants and bars can serve cold beer but they cannot. The association is taking their battle to federal court, with hearings set to begin on Thursday.

While most Indiana residents believe the law prohibiting cold beer in gas stations and convenience stores should be overturned, legal professionals are dubious over the outcome. They claim that since the state legislature’s goal with the law is to regulate alcohol consumption, federal court will deny the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association’s plea for reform.

David Orentlicher, law professor at Indiana University, said the following:

“The court allows legislatures a lot of freedom, so long as they have a legitimate goal, which in this case is to regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol. Even if you get the state claim raised, given the nature of alcohol regulation, I think the court would be reluctant to undo the balance the legislature has created.”

Even if the battle for cold beer in Indiana’s gas stations and convenience stores fails, residents can always chill their beer using one of the methods outlined here. The easiest way to chill a bottle of beer (or several) in a short period of time is to place it in a cooler filled with ice and salt. This lowers the ice’s melting point so the temperature is cooler than before. It’s a neat little trick that’s fun to show off to your buddies when you need fast access to cold beer.

Do you think gas stations and convenience stores in Indiana should be allowed to sell cold beer? We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section below!