Bar Wars: Alcohol board bans distilleries from selling cocktails

Amalga Distillery got some sobering news from the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Wednesday: distilleries may no longer serve cocktails, effective immediately.

It was written on the cocktail menu Wednesday night: “The Last Last Word. Literally. At least in this tasting room. An appropriate drink for the day.”

Since it opened this spring, Amalga has been an extraordinarily popular downtown destination. On the same day the alcohol board made its ruling, it was presented with the Empire’s Readers’ Choice Award for “Best New Business.”

The board’s 3-1 decision came after an anonymous complaint alleged Amalga was violating state law by mixing its locally made gin with alcohol and other things not made on site. Mixing drinks is not specifically allowed by state law, but the practice has been allowed for the past three years under the Alaska Marijuana and Alcohol Control Office’s interpretation of the law.

Read more: http://juneauempire.com/state/news/2017-09-14/bar-wars-alcohol-board-bans-distilleries-selling-cocktails