Judge Rules Against Taxing Of "Alcopops"
LINCOLN (AP) - In a lawsuit decision that could raise prices, a judge has decided Nebraska erred in taxing so-called "alcopops" as beer rather than as hard liquor. The tax difference is more than $3 a gallon, which could drive up the cost of flavored malt beverages such as Mike's Hard Lemonade and Bacardi Breezers. A mother and three Nebraska groups that fight underage drinking filed the lawsuit in 2009. It challenged the state Liquor Control Commission's decision to let alcopops be classified as beer instead of hard liquor.
