Crack open a cold beer — that you can literally buy cold now in your local liquor store — and enjoy episode 13 of How We Got Here, a podcast partnership between NonDoc and FKG Consulting.
That’s right. Today is the first day of full implementation for alcohol modernization laws passed by Oklahoma voters in 2016. State Question 792 passed with 65.6 percent support, unraveling a set of complicated limitations on how alcoholic beverages could be sold in the state.
Those rules were formed over a bizarre political timeline that started with Oklahoma’s admission to the union as a dry state. More than 25 years after the U.S. ended prohibition, Oklahoma followed suit, but further political fights remained. In 1972 and 1976, voters declined to pass state questions legalizing “liquor by the drink,” a term referring to the ability of a consumer to buy a drink of liquor directly from a bar. Until voters did approve liquor by the drink in 1984, bar patrons legally had to bring their own bottles of the hard stuff, paying the establishment a set-up fee for creating a drink with it.
If that sounds bizarre now, consider how future generations of Oklahomans might react when told that — prior to Oct. 1, 2018 — their parents could not buy wine in grocery stores, cold beer in liquor stores or anything stronger than something called “3.2 beer” in convenience stores.
The podcast team welcomes Brett Robinson, president of the Beer Distributors of Oklahoma, as a guest for episode 13. Robinson et al detail not only the political history of Oklahoma’s alcohol modernization efforts, but the team looks at what might be coming next for Sooner State booze aficionados.
Listen to episode 13 of How We Got Here by clicking the embedded audio file below or subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Google Play and Pocket Casts.
As always, please consider rating, reviewing and subscribing to How We Got Here for future podcasts. If you have any suggestions for topics you’d like to hear discussed, contact NonDoc here.
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Catch past episodes of How We Got Here
Episode 12: From 1994 to 2018 with Keith Gaddie
Episode 11: Running down the Aug. 28 Oklahoma runoffs
Episode 10: Pot rules: The Board of Health’s marijuana action
Episode 9: Primary colors — Green lit, red runoffs, blue wave?
Episode 8: Bud on bud — Deep in the weeds on SQ 788
Episode 7: The history of how Oklahoma cares about kids
Episode 6: Wind, guns, budget and a 72-ounce steak
Episode 5: A teacher walkout podcast
Episode 4: Diving deep on Medicaid
Episode 3: Let’s get gubernatorial
Episode 2: Summing up Step Up
Episode 1: Down to brass tax
(Editor’s note: How We Got Here is produced in partnership between NonDoc and FKG Consulting, a lobbying and public policy firm based in Oklahoma City. In each episode, all participants speak freely on the topic at hand. To view a list of FKG’s clients go here.)
