Idaho Drops 5 Wives Vodka Ban

Booze ban canned after lawsuit threat
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 8, 2012 8:23 AM CDT
Idaho Drops 5 Wives Vodka Ban
This image provided by Ogden's Own distillery shows a bottle of Five Wives Vodka.   (AP Photo/Ogden's Own Distillery, file)

The makers of Five Wives Vodka have a victory to drink to: Idaho's state liquor monopoly has dropped its ban on their booze, which officials considered offensive to Mormons. The liquor board says it will " immediately begin processing special order requests" for the beverage , reports the Los Angeles Times. The change of heart came after a George Washington University professor posted a letter on his website calling the ban unconstitutional and threatening to sue on behalf of the distillery.

"This case may test the limits of the government in advancing the sectarian demands of any religious groups and the exercise of arbitrary power," he wrote. "Frankly, to paraphrase the Irish proverb, the exercise of arbitrary power 'is sweet to drink but bitter to pay for.'" The distillery owner notes he may still sue in an effort to force the state to drop the requirement that his product be sold by "special order" only. (More Idaho stories.)

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