With the aid of a little know-how and a massive set of balls, thieves made off with a tractor-trailer loaded with booze early Sunday morning, 27 April 2008, from Langley, Virginia’s 3D Transport.  Unfournately for them, the trailer was only a partial load and the thieves’ haul was less than $200,000 of inexpensive wine and imported beer.  The load contained 500 cases of Peroni beer, 720 cases of Castle Lager, 112 cases of Trivento red wine, and 56 Cases of Max Reserva Shiraz.

The thieves managed to take a truck, connect it to the trailer, and leave the compound all under the nose of a security guard between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. The truck and trailer were found abandoned and empty on 26th Ave. in Surrey at 7 p.m.  The booze was supposed to have been delivered to the Alberta Liquor Board in Edmonton, but I guess it was delivered to a set of thirsty drinkers instead.

       Funny, it might have been more profitable had they taken the time to read the bills of lading on nearby trailers.  Three other trailers parked in the truck compound on Allard Crescent were loaded with liquor worth closer to $800,000, the usual value of a load, said a representative for the trucking company.  Let that be a lesson to all you would-be liquor truck theives out there.  Take the extra second to shop the nearby trucks as well.  That way, you can ensure you are getting the best deal on your five-finger-discounted booze.

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    Did you have a beer today on April 7, 2008?  Are you having one right now?  Well how does it taste?  If it tastes a little better than normal, there is a perfectly good reason.  You see, 75 years ago today was the beginning of the end of Prohibition.  The passage of the  Cullen-Harrison act allowed the alcohol content of beer to be bumped up from 0.5 to 3.2.  Since I bet that nobody reading this site is old enough to remember how miserable Prohibition must have been, this might not seem like too big of a deal.  However, according  to the Brewers Association, the American public purchased more than 1.5 million barrels of beer in just the first 24 hours.  I would say that the folks back in 1933 were just a bit parched.  Of course, you still could not legally purchase liquor as that was still a few months away.  That fact did not put a damper of the party as huge crowds had gathered around brewers eager for their first real beer in 14 years.  So who, you ask, was responsible for this this glorious day which in my opinion should seriously be considered for a national holiday?  None other than FDR and his anti-prohibition congress.  FDR needed a way to give the economy a shot in the arm and he figured that legal booze would get people spending their money.  He was right, during the first 48 hours about 25 million dollars poured into breweries and their associated businesses.  This, of course, translated to 7.5 million dollars worth of tax revenue.  FDR managed to find a solution to boost the economy, taxes, and the public’s moral all in one fell swoop.

    Sure, this is a liquor site and we are talking about beer.  However, this is the 75th anniversary of the first of many steps towards getting liquor back on sale in America.  I think that is one event worth celebrating.  So, I suggest you grab a brew, sit back, relax, enjoy its wonderful flavor, and try to imagine going 14 years without a frosty beverage.  Actually no, scratch the last part, that is the stuff of which nightmares are made.  

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    I read recently that U.S. federal regulators have proposed legislation requiring all alcoholic beverages to don nutritional information labels.  The proposed legislation would require labels on every alcoholic beverage that discloses the amount of alcohol per serving as well as the number of calories per serving.  There is still some debate as to whether or not to include a U.S. dietary guideline that explains definition of “moderate” drinking.

     Though legislation still seems to be in it’s early stages, the fact that the big-time alcohol producers are already beginning to argue over label shape and placement makes me think that this may actually happen in the not-too-distant future.  I’m actually pretty torn on the issue.  I know the average health conscious comsumer is salivating over the idea of easily being able to count the calories contained within the meager amount of alcoholic drinks he or she may consume, and I can see some merit to it.  As I sit back, throw down another vodka, and watch my waistline expand, I have to admit I’m a little curious as to how much of my growing belly is a result of my alcohol consumption.  I know it’s a considerable amount because I wasn’t at all overweight before my drinking days began, but there is a big part of me that really doesn’t want to know the truth.

    I’ve always thought of liquor as my friend that helps me through long, black days.  I’d hate to think this friend may be a detriment to my sexy appearance.  Alcohol is the social lubricant to which I owe most of my occasional charisma and humorous tales.  If I didn’t drink, I would likely be more attractive to the opposite sex, but I doubt I would be able to talk to them, not to mention keep them amused.  Here’s the bottom line:  They can put nutritional information on all the bottles they want, but I’m going to play ostrich and stick my head in the ground on this one.

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