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This week in 1975, the battle between Coors and other brewers over non-returnable aluminum cans heated up. Coors endorsed a 5-cent deposit on cans which led Pabst prexy Frank DeGuire on a rampage against Bill Coors. Bill "has joined with environmentalists and an unlikely coalition of politicians and brewing industry foes in urging EPA," to publish a proposal on can deposits, said Frank. "While it is nice to dream that the 5-cent deposit will help us recover all our aluminum cans, what is to prevent the group of people from drawing legislation that would outlaw the aluminum can because it is not biodegradable&hellip;. Mr. Coors is now in bed with the very people who seek to destroy the principles of American Business," added Frank. After Oregon passed its bottle bill in 1971, there was much concern that bottle bills mandating deposits would spread fast, yet 50 yrs later deposit laws are only mandated in 10 states while 27 states have some form of mandatory recycling. This week in 2002, Yuengling shipments were up ~200K bbls that yr to 1.2-1.25 mil bbls, exec veep Dave Casinelli shared with NY beer distribs. Yuengling continued to grow while doing biz much differently than most brewers, Dave pointed out. Sold primarily full-calorie domestic premium beer (a segment in long-term decline), 42% of its biz was draft (draft was 10% of US mkt and down), it didn't sell any 30-, 18- or 20-packs, 40-oz, 22-oz, etc; and 85% of its biz was in just 3 core states, DE, NJ and PA (states where total beer biz below 10 yrs ago). Yuengling sold over 3 mil cases (about 18% of its biz) in Philly alone, where it didn't really compete in multi-cultural mkt (about 50% of population) or light beer (about 40% of consumption). Yuengling was at 2.475 mil bbls in 2024, down 8% vs yr ago, doing biz in 26 states including 4 thru JV with Molson Coors.This week in 2006, INSIGHTS noted a challenge to 3-tier system and other aspects of state-based regulation: various adversaries from largest retailers to small brewers/vintners continued to get much better ink than distribs. A Fortune mag feature on Costco in its "What It Takes to Be Great" issue, entitled "Why Costco Is So Damn Addictive." Costco revs were $59 bil from 488 locations, #28 in Fortune 500. Avg warehouse generated $128 mil in sales. Article focused on Costco's "treasure hunt" approach; yet another example of how well Costco's low prices play in media. Costco also told Wash state 3-tier review task force that it wants to use central warehouses not only to distribute to its stores within a given state, but to ship across state lines. Tho Costco dropped lawsuit challenging 3-tier system in 2008.Elsewhere, Mkt Watch mag named Trone brothers as "Retailers of the Year," in piece called "A Total Juggernaut." They had one of hottest alc bev retail concepts: Total Wine & More with 42 units, 1200 employees, but didn't disclose revs. "We're a big box superstore that focuses on fine wine," said Robert Trone. Total Wine carried 8000 wine SKUs, 2000 spirits and 1000 beer SKUs. Beer was just 10% of revs, but in Total Wine store, even its beer section made waves with hot prices and wide selection.This week in 2008, there was another flare up in the ongoing point/counterpoint debate about value of middle-tier. Reason magazine sr editor (and Fox news columnist) Radley Balko blasted distribs in article titled "How Your Beer Bought John McCain's $500 Loafers." Balko claimed middle tier was a "farce&hellip;. It's an artificial, anachronistic government-created entity that's anti-competitive and full of lobbyists and special interests." A day after Balko's diatribe, WSWA had a timely counter. It released new study proclaiming the "debate is over" and proved worth of middle tier. Forty-four pg analysis by Univ of Tex Austin prof David Sibley concluded: "wholesale distribution system serves an important and integral function" in the economy as distribs provide "efficiency and effectiveness." Three-tier allows states to collect taxes, provide accountability and ensure legal sale of alc bevs.This week in 2013, a 12-ft high Rainier "R" went back on top of the old Rainier Brewery in Seattle on Interstate 5, "where it was the gateway to downtown Seattle for over 50 years," said Columbia Dist's Washington state president Chris Steffanci. Several thousand attended this event, including Seattle's mayor. "It doesn't happen often when a beer distributor and a brewery have the opportunity to change the skyline of a city like Seattle," said Chris. The "R" was changed to a "T" by Tully's coffee co in 2000, but when Tully's filed for Chapter XI, Pabst and its distrib Columbia sensed an opportunity. They collaborated on this effort to replicate the "R." The original "R" is at a Museum; the one installed was an exact replica.This week in 2014, INSIGHTS reported a new spin on a "beer vs Martini" challenge. There was a famous story in beer biz that August Busch III challenged distiller execs to match beers and martinis to dispute the "drink is drink" tax equivalence notion. As part of the pot legalization debate, pro-pot activists challenged folks on the other side to a "hit for shot" public duel. For every shot of alcohol an anti-pot legalization advocate takes, the pro-potter takes a toke and onlookers "would be able to see who is in worse physical condition in the end," reported In These Times. Idea came up as pot advocate David Boyer challenged South Portland, ME's Police Chief Edward Googins to a shot/toke duel. (Pot legalization was on upcoming ballot in South Portland, as well as in Lewiston, ME, Alaska and Oregon). Googins had earlier told a local newspaper: "Claims that marijuana is safer than alcohol are so bogus it's not even funny." Googins passed on duel, noting he doesn't break the law. Of course, ME passed legislation for recreational cannabis in 2016 session, so breaking the law would be less of an issue these days.

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