Draft beer, Sunday sales voted No. 8 top story of 2007

Draft beer flowed in Florence and liquor was sold on Sundays in Sheffield for the first time.

The alcohol sales issues were voted No. 8 among the Top 10 local stories of 2007 by the TimesDaily news staff.

The Shoals, a patchwork of dry and wet regions, loosened alcohol restrictions when the Florence City Council voted to allow draft beer Sept. 1. Across the river, the Sheffield City Council approved Sunday sales in October after a public referendum vote (768-475) passed in September.

Across the Tennessee border, Lawrence County passed an ordinance this month to sell beer on Sundays outside municipalities.

When draft beer became available in Florence, several revelers spent that Saturday, Sept. 1, sipping from frosty mugs at restaurants and bars, some even arriving in the morning to be the first to belly up to the bar.

Draft beer gives some restaurants and bars another way to serve beer but comes with an increased setup cost for keg storage, equipment and the required refrigeration.

Lauderdale County still prohibits alcohol sales, which have been allowed in Florence since 1984.

City officials say it will take time before they get statistics that show the impact draft beer has on the area.

Alabama is one of three states in the U.S. that restricts beer to 6 percent or less alcohol by volume. The advocacy group, Free the Hops, pushed this year to get the limit amended with no success. The group says the percentage of alcohol restricts many specialty and foreign beers from entering the Alabama market.

In October, Sheffield joined Florence to permit Sunday alcohol sales in restaurants and hotel lounges.

Sheffield Mayor Billy Don Anderson said the city had sought Sunday sales to create a level playing field for the city's hotels and restaurants.

"It was very meaningful to our city in many ways," said Anderson of the passage of the Sunday sales bill by state legislators.

Sheffield will still have restrictions, such as Sunday sales start at noon, businesses classified as lounges will not be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays and alcohol still can't be sold for carryout on Sundays.

It's still too early to detect the effect Sunday sales will have on Sheffield.

"Sales tax in Sheffield was up some, whether it was a result of Sunday sales, I don't know," said Sheffield City Clerk Clayton Kelly.

Linda Calvert, bar manager at the Holiday Inn in Sheffield, said the bar attached to the hotel began Sunday sales less than a month ago.

"They're having pretty good sales on that day," Calvert said. "I can say that customers are very happy that the bar is opened on Sunday. It gives them somewhere to go on Sunday whereas they would have to go to Florence normally."

Anderson said several businesses had waited for Sunday sales to pass before setting up shop.

So far, no new businesses have opened because of Sunday sales, but Anderson said, "It's too short a time for anybody to make a commitment."

Sheffield also sought to get draft beer but the needed legislation didn't make it through the state Senate. Sheffield officials say they plan to introduce the draft beer legislation in 2008.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@timesdaily.com.