DISCUS president Meister restates "drink is a drink."

Modern Brewery Age, July 15, 1996

"Here are the facts," Meister wrote. "Typical servings of distilled spirits, beer or wine contain the same amount of absolute alcohol. At least four U.S. cabinet level departments (Health & Human Services, Agriculture, Transportation and Education) and various agencies define a drink of alcohol as 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Alcohol regulations including alcohol-warning labels, minimum-drinking age laws and drunk-driving laws do not distinguish among distilled spirits, beer or wine."

It's nothing new for DISCUS. As Henry King, executive director of the BAA, has pointed out, "[Tax] Equivalency is very much a priority on the agenda of the distillers, and has been for 28 years... When they succeed in identifying beer, wine and whiskey as the same, they've won the battle. Equivalency follows."