Bill pushes to ban sale of cold beer in Tennessee

That’s a pint of controversy.

A bill moving through the Tennessee General Assembly would ban the sale of cold beer in the state.

The proposal, SB2636, was filed on Jan. 31 and would provide that “no person or entity holding a beer permit…shall sell refrigerated or cold beer at a retail location.”

The bill has passed the Senate twice and is now referred to a committee. According to the state website.

SB2636 is sponsored by Republican Sen. Paul Rose and Rep. Ron Gantt.

This bill aims to reduce drunk driving accidents in the state. Gant told WREG.

“In many accidents, there is evidence of alcohol in the vehicle, beer cans and beer bottles,” the politician explained.

“And you’re seeing it on the side of the road on a lot of roads across the state and in every county. You see a lot of beer bottles and beer cans littering the highways,” he added.

In 2019, approximately 21.5% of traffic fatalities in Tennessee involved alcohol. According to the Tennessee Safe Resources Attorney.

But business owners are concerned that the bill could have a negative impact on their businesses.

“It would be extremely detrimental to our breweries and the beer business in general,” Andy Ashby, co-owner of Memphis Made Brewing, told WREG about the bill.

Ashby explained that convenience store and grocery store sales are an important part of his business, and shoppers primarily prefer cold beer.

“There’s a saying in beer sales: ‘Cold is gold,'” he pointed out.

“[The bill] It’s going to have a huge impact, it’s huge. “Packaged sales make up about 40 to 50 percent of our sales, and 90 percent of that is cold beer,” said Drew Barton, brewmaster at Memphis Made.

If the bill passes, Ashby said Memphis Made will contact the Tennessee Brewers Association and hopefully push back on the move.

“They’ve been very active in supporting craft breweries in the state, and they’ve been working with them. They’re working with larger breweries. And they’re trying to figure out how to get around this, or whatever you want. Find a way,” he explained.

The Tennessee Brewers Association, Sen. Rose and Rep. Gantt did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the bill.