Bill in Alaska would let ski areas serve booze

JUNEAU, Alaska — A bill pending before the Alaska Legislature would allow for ski areas in the state to serve alcohol.

Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area had been poised to open a bar until the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board last fall rejected its application, the Juneau Empire reported.

Ski and snowboard areas are not included in a provision of state law specifying the recreational places or events where alcohol sales are permitted. Legislation proposed by Republican Sen. Peter Micciche would add ski and snowboard areas to the list.

The bill, more broadly, is aimed at preserving the liquor license for the Alaska State Fair.

Micciche, in a statement accompanying his bill, said the fair has been serving alcohol under the recreational site license since 1981 but risks losing the license under a more stringent reading of the law by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

He wrote that it would be “financially devastating” to the fair if it could not serve alcohol.

Eaglecrest general manager Dave Scanlan, in a letter to lawmakers, said changing weather patterns have made running a small ski area has financially difficult. He said beer and wine sales could provide a major financial boost.

The ski area could have a bar open next winter if the bill becomes law, Scanlan said.