Buying Ice? Not If You're Under 21!

Indiana's liquor law got a little tougher; you now have to show ID to buy booze no matter how old you look. Perhaps there was a spate of purchasing by by underage, gifted theatre students? --Whatev'; Prohibition's legacy just accreted another layer, yackety-schmackety, legislative bloat-as-usual....

Except it's gone a bit stranger than usual; liquor store owners, havin' read the law with a wary eye and mindful of the scant discretion granted Excisemen, are carding everyone, for every purchase. Buy a bag of ice, a jar of pickled onions or a bottle of (irony alert) Canada Dry? Not if you're under 21!

While I, for one, eagerly await the day they ban Sunday ice sales to keep us safe from the scourge of Demon...vodka and grapefruit juice (at least we oughta ban cold ice -- think of the children!), Indiana State Excise Police are considerably less amused. A bit swamped with calls and queries, they're pointing out, "...it's not state law that you have to show an ID to purchase non-alcoholic items...." Good luck winnin' that argument with the hired help at Gin To Go, though; she's just trying to avoid getting tripped up and if that means carding you over a pack of gum, hey, no problem. Papers, please and that'll be $1.298!

Carrie Nation, thy ax has become a clipboard; thy pledge, a mere stumbling-block. But oh, your spirit haunts the spirits forever more, in tight-lipped fear that someone, somewhere, might be enjoyin' themselves without having all the forms filled out and every name listed and checked twice. ...If then....