Dozens of Arizona retailers are taking advantage of a new law allowing in-store liquor sampling, but Gilbert Mayor John Lewis wants to keep the practice out of his town.

Lewis recently called on local grocers to "withstand the temptation" to offer free taste-testing of beer, wine and spirits at their stores. He said his family frequently shopped at Sam's Club, for example, and he would not want his children to be in an atmosphere where alcohol could be sipped.

"For the image and preservation of what has been building Gilbert as a family-centered community, I hope we would not approve the sampling privileges in a family environment," Lewis said.

Two members of the Gilbert Town Council recently joined the mayor in opposing Sam's Club's sampling-license application, and a 3-3 vote of no recommendation sent the decision to the Arizona State Liquor Board for further action.

Proponents of liquor sampling say the practice helps promote Arizona-based liquor labels and argue that exposing children to alcohol can foster responsible drinking habits in the future.

"It's important, especially when folks aren't familiar with Arizona wines," said Todd Bostock, president of the Arizona Wine Growers Association. "People like to try a sample before they take the plunge and spend an extra $20 on a local wine."

Most families wouldn't be offended by in-store sampling because they already consume alcohol at the dinner table in front of their children, he said.

"The more kids are exposed to responsible drinking, it won't be a foreign thing to them," Bostock said. "It's not taboo."

On-site liquor sampling has been allowed in Arizona since 2005, when it became the 40th state to legalize the practice. A new law passed this year loosened several restrictions.

Previously, each store was allowed only 12 tasting events per year. While the stores could host the sampling, a liquor wholesaler or producer had to serve the alcohol and notify the state of the event, which was limited to three hours.

House Bill 2002, which took effect in July, gives stores with a Series 9 liquor license the opportunity to apply for "sampling privileges."

If granted, the stores could offer daily sampling conducted by a retail-store employee who was not required to have any additional training, said Lee Hill, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control.

The on-duty store manager, however, must complete liquor-law management training, Hill said.

Sampling is limited to 3 ounces of beer, 1 ounce of wine and 1 ounce of distilled spirits per person, per brand, per day.

Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, sponsored the bill, which received broad support in the state Legislature. Reagan said she was unaware of the Gilbert council's action, but respects its right to deny the license.

"I always try to make sure the cities have a say in the liquor legislation I have run," Reagan said via e-mail. "I believe in local control and each city is allowed to make its own decisions regarding whether a license can be granted or not."

Reagan was elected to the state Senate in November. Her campaign contributions included more than $3,300 in donations from high-ranking employees in the alcohol industry.

Her bill was approved 54-to-1 by the House, with Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, as the lone dissenting vote.

"I go in with my kids to go get doughnuts at the Safeway," Biggs said. "It's one thing to walk through the liquor department to go to the bakery, but it's something else when you've got people there serving alcoholic beverages."

Gilbert Councilman Dave Crozier, who voted against granting sampling privileges to Sam's Club, said the town should seek to differentiate itself and send a message to other communities.

Sam's Club legal representative Clare Abel unsuccessfully sought to persuade the council to approve the license and defended liquor sampling. The sampling will be done in a roped-off area where shoppers must show identification and be over 21 years old to enter. Sample sizes will be limited, Abel said.



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