By Guest Opinion,
Who knew that bureaucrats would ban vodka simply for being tasteless? Jeff Anderson prefers inoffensive alcohol. And as Idaho State Liquor Division Administrator, he has the power to get his own way. Ogden’s Own Distillery in Ogden, Utah, makes a middle-shelf vodka brand called Five Wives Vodka—clearly referring the Salt Lake City-based Mormon church’s polygamous heritage. The liquor has been selling well in Wyoming and Utah, both of which have strong Mormon populations, and regulators there have had no problems with it. But according to Anderson, more than a quarter of Idahoans are Mormon and find the brand offensive.
Ogden’s Own, meanwhile, has attempted to turn the ban into a marketing ploy, selling “Free the Five Wives” t-shirts and insists that the label, which shows five women dressed in early 20th-century costume, is not obscene and therefore Idaho has no right to ban it. Besides, a Utah-made beer called Polygamy Porter is currently available in Idaho’s state-owned liquor stores. But Anderson is adamant: Polygamy is ok. But Five Wives is going too far.
For more, see KOIN-6 story here
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