Wine and Movies Don't Mix

Filed in archive Wine News on April 13, 2006

The phrase "dinner and a movie" may have a whole new meaning for movie-goers in the state of Idaho soon if some lawmakers have their way.

Some small theaters, though, do have a few challenging laws that prohibit alcohol being sold in movie theaters.

From House Kills Beer and Wine at the Movies Bill, One Lawmaker Says It's Not Dead Yet: After the house voted to kill a bill that would allow some theaters the alcohol access... Representative Wendy Jaquet created another bill that would grant existing theaters like The Flicks compliance.

"Our state is very pro business and I think that is the issue. These people are out of compliance and they need to be made in compliance...and that's what this legislation will do," Jaquet said.

That's helpful to folks at The Flicks... Without beer and wine... Carole Skinner says that will impact the bottom line. "They don't want to toss it back it's a chardonnay... Cabernet... It's a Merlot.. It's something they want to sip and they want to sip it throughout the film. "

The new and slightly improved bill grandfathers in The Flicks and three other theaters like it in the Sun Valley and Ketchum area.

Personally, I don't really see a difference between selling alcohol in a theater versus selling it in a restaurant. From what I read of the article, the main issue seemed to be with the idea that minors might be able to get access to the wine or beer, but couldn't they also do that if they were sitting down eating in a restaurant versus a move theater?