C. Jarrett Dieterle is a resident senior fellow at the R Street Institute and the author of Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink!
Utah's Straw Test Crackdown
Bureaucratic overreach is stirring up unnecessary trouble for Utah bartenders.
C. Jarrett Dieterle
Latest from C. Jarrett Dieterle
Biden and Trump Hope to Tip the Election Scales With Working-Class Proposals
Competing visions on tipping policies highlight the differences in the candidates’ approaches to winning over working-class voters—but neither will provide much benefit.
Rekindle the Spirit of Independence by Legalizing Home Distilling
A modern legal battle challenges the federal ban on distilling alcohol at home—a favorite hobby of the Founding Fathers.
The Government Wants To Track Your Steak
A proposed USDA rule would require RFID tagging of all cattle and bison that move across state lines.
Government Subsidies Keep Your Food Boring
The feds’ focus on large-scale crops hinders the resurgence of heritage grains and results in less food diversity.
Oh God, What If Congress Bans Drinking on Airplanes?
New research and paternalistic legislators could threaten our last in-flight comfort.
California's Tortilla Bill Threatens To Flatten Small Businesses
Proposed legislation mandates folic acid in masa flour, sparking fears among traditional tortilla makers about costs and cultural impact.
Craft Distilleries Fight for Survival Amid Crushing Regulations
Once booming, the industry now faces closures and stifling market access due to outdated laws and burdensome middlemen.
The Real Reason for Self-Checkout Bans
It isn't about stopping crime—it's about protecting a favored constituency's jobs.
The Federal Government is Literally Taxing Air
Arcane tax rules based on carbonation levels are flattening the growth of America's craft cider industry.
Big Beer vs. Canned Cocktails in the Grocery Aisle
Uncovering Big Beer’s crafty campaign to limit consumer access to canned cocktails.
Minneapolis Is About To Kill Ride-Sharing
Chasing Seattle's shadow, Minneapolis' new ride-share wage law threatens to derail the gig economy.
How Michigan Lost $1 Million of Liquor
Sadly, not by drinking it—the government just lost a fifth of the state’s inventory.
Seattle Law Mandating Higher Delivery Driver Pay Is a Disaster
Just two weeks after the law went into effect, Seattleites had to contend with $26 coffees and $32 sandwiches.
Virginia May Finally Fix a Dumb Drink Law
The infamous food-beverage ratio may be reformed, but not abolished.
New Labor Rules Will Screw Over Your Local McDonalds
A new joint employer rule from the NLRB threatens to fundamentally change the business relationship between a franchise and its parent company.
The War on Fast-Food Joints
Cities around the country are contemplating bans on drive-thrus and other new regulations.
Youth Drinking Is Falling, Not Rising
According to a new study there is no correlation between increased youth drinking during COVID and alcohol delivery.
New Research Shows Alcohol Delivery Is Not to Blame for Increased Drinking
There is no demonstrable link between alcohol delivery laws and our heightened pandemic drinking.
In Utah, Bad Booze Bills Never Die
In an attempt to create a new banquet license, a bill introduced in Utah would require every restaurant to build a wall that blocks off its private party space from the rest of the establishment.
Oregon's Whiskey Ring Shows Perils of State Liquor Control
Top government officials reportedly kept rare bourbons for themselves and other powerful insiders.
Decriminalize Moonshine!
Ohio might be on the verge of making home distilling legal—but federal law will still prohibit it.
What 2022 Taught Us About Freeing American Alcohol Markets
Reformers had two years of unprecedented victories—and then protectionists started using scare tactics to block them
States Stubbornly Slow To Fix Antiquated Alcohol Laws
In Colorado, you can have weed delivered to your door but not alcohol.
Open Virginia's Whiskey Market
Freeing up Virginia’s liquor market is more worthwhile than just busting its whiskey black market.
Coloradans Might Fix Their Arcane Booze Rules
On the ballot in November, Coloradans can choose to have more alcohol in grocery stores and available for delivery.
The Biden Administration Can't Make Up Its Mind About Alcohol
Do you want to brag about America’s alcohol industry, or do you want to crack down on it?
New Jersey Cracks Down on Breweries for Hosting Trivia Nights, Serving Food
Regulations ban food sales, limit the number of events, and include other inane requirements.
New Study Finds To-Go Alcohol Did Not Increase Drunk Driving Deaths
Many states allowed restaurants to sell to-go cocktails during COVID-19. Research shows that change is not linked to an increase in drunk driving deaths.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Say They Want to Loosen Booze Rules. This Proposal Would Do the Opposite.
The fine print of the latest alcohol regulation proposal in Massachusetts is revealing.
Alcohol Delivery Doesn't Lead To Underage Drinking
The history of wine delivery is pretty clear.
Biden's Antitrust Crusade Targets Alcohol
The alcohol sector has seen more than 6,000 new entrants, but the Treasury still thinks it has an antitrust problem.
Virginia's Awful Alcohol Laws Could Finally Get Fixed, Thanks to COVID and Gov. Youngkin
Government-run booze stores in Virginia may have met their match.
How COVID-19 Changed Alcohol Forever
At least 20 states will permanently allow to-go cocktails, and more may be coming.
Craft Alcohol Makers Thrive as Government Launches Antitrust Investigation
The Prohibition-era three-tier system is causing consolidation, not the market.
Los Angeles Might Force Broke Businesses To Keep Paying Workers During Coronavirus Outbreak
The mandates would be retroactive, potentially punishing businesses for violating rules they did not even know existed.
The Whiskey Making Was Hard, But the Government Was Easy
Our first president might be shocked at the regulatory machinery imposed on distillers.
