Sangria Illegal in Virginia?

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I do love me some good Sangria now and again. Its great on hot summer days or as the beverage of choice when nibbling tapas. In fact, La Tasca is a chain of Spanish tapas restaurants in the local DC/Nova area, and they specialize in making a few great flavors of Sangria. Imagine their surprise when they found out they were breaking the law by mixing wine with fruit and brandy!

From the AP here:

If you’re served a pitcher of authentic sangria in a Virginia restaurant, someone’s breaking the law.

Since 1934, the state has prohibited mixing wine or beer with spirits. Frances McDonald, vice president of La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurants, found that out the hard way when his Alexandria location was cited for violating the sangria ban in 2006 and fined $2,000 and was ordered to pour its sangria — about 40 liters — down the drain.

In the meantime, the restaurant has taken to modifying its sangria recipe. The brandy has been eliminated and the triple sec replaced with a nonalcoholic orange liqueur.

The restaurant is working to appeal the ban or get the law changed, and I have to agree with this one. Also, wouldn’t that make all of the restaurants and pubs that sell “car bombs” or “boilermakers” in violation of the same law? I don’t remember several nights when I’ve had multiple beers with shots of whiskey, rum, baileys, jaeger, etc dropped into a beer mug.