Virginia isn’t for cocktail lovers

Published April 2, 2018 4:00am ET



Easter has come and gone, and Lent is over, so people who gave up alcohol can imbibe again. But if they live in Virginia, it’ll take extra effort to check their local bar’s happy hour specials.

A nonsensical Virginia law bans bars and restaurants from advertising their happy hour drink prices. Outside their walls, bars can advertise food specials and happy hour times, and they can list which drinks they feature. But woe betide a bar that accompanies this helpful information with details about price. They are also not allowed to be inventive with their marketing language and must refer only to their “happy hour” and “drink specials.” Don’t bother to dram up “Wine Wednesdays,” “Tequila Tuesdays,” or “Miller Lite Mondays.” It’s even illegal for an Irish pub to advertise the simple fact that it sells pints of Guinness for $5 from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

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