Time for state lawmakers to `Raise the Bar’

Iowa City Press-Citizen

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For months now, local restaurateur and Press-Citizen wine columnist Kurt Michael Friese has been calling upon Iowa lawmakers to “Raise the Bar” and make changes to some pre-Prohibition-era features of the state's liquor law.

Friese, the owner of Devotay restaurant, wants bars and restaurants in Iowa to be able to take advantage of the popular trend of infusing their own liquor in house. The process involves leaving various fruits and spices in liquor long enough - usually weeks - for it to pick up the different flavors.

Infusing is so commonplace - and so simple - that some Iowa restaurants and bars just started doing it without thinking to double check whether Iowa's liquor law allow for it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't.

And the state had to remind restaurant and bar owners that Iowa Code currently requires liquor to be stored in the same container in which it was purchased - except in the case of mixed cocktails that will be consumed immediately.

Friese campaign has been gaining steam steadily. Most recently, the Iowa Restaurant Association added itself to the list of restaurants and bars in support of the measure.

“To be honest, when the Raise the Bar issue came about and chef Kurt Friese started talking about it and we started to look with him at what's on the books, we realized what was going on,” Jessica Bunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, told the Press-Citizen

Bunker said her organization is all about compliance and supporting bars and restaurants, many of which don't realize they're doing something illegal.

Last week, we were pleased to learn that Friese's efforts appear to be paying off. Three state senators - Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City; Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville; and Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City - introduced a bill that would change the law to allow restaurant and bar owners to “infuse” their own liquors in-house.

“I think this is just another example of not creating new regulations but putting clarity around existing laws without attaching new fees and hoops,” Bertrand said.

Given that Iowa Republicans have said they plan to get rid of laws that create unnecessary regulations for Iowa businesses, we hope Bertrand's leadership makes it more likely that the measure will see bipartisan support.