We raised a glass last year when the province announced the liquor policy review.
For those of us who enjoy a tipple now and again, it was high time for some sober changes to our nonsensical, prohibition-era booze laws.
But, despite some intoxicating promises, the actual legislation we got feels more like a hangover.
Supposed "happy hour" rules came with a minimum price for a drink that is higher than what many pubs were already charging. This when we've already got the most
expensive alcohol and highest cost of living in Canada.
Allowing alcohol sales in grocery stores also sounded promising. But without creating any new liquor licences, all it will do is send the market price of an existing licence into the stratosphere and exclude all but the wealthiest grocery chains.
That is, of course, if any supermarkets can navigate the remaining rat's nest of rules. In the entire city of Vancouver, there is only one grocery store that meets the minimum distance from already existing licensed facilities that would allow it to have a "store within a store." And they don't want one.
Of course there are more important things the province could be doing. Our transportation and ferry systems are a mess. We've got possibly two major pipelines projects incoming with heaps of unanswered questions. But the liquor policy review was supposed to be one of those easy fixes - something everyone could get behind.
Please forgive us if we cry into a local craft beer as we think about what could have been.
