Washington’s state senate passed a bill on Wednesday, March 30 allowing samples in state liquor stores, according to the Seattle Times.

As when wine and beer samples were okayed for grocery and specialty stores in 2009, the liquor control board is now tasked with running a pilot program. The plan is to try out samples in 30 stores state-wide.

"Samples would be allowed no more than once a week at each store," reports the Times’ Queenie Wong, "and each sample would not exceed a quarter ounce. Customers under the age of 21 years old and those intoxicated would not be allowed to sample spirits. The board would report on the pilot program to the Legislature by December 2012."

This February, state reps passed a similar bill allowing beer and wine samples in farmers markets. All of these measures are obviously positive steps for those trying to sell alcoholic products, but what’s particularly promising about the liquor sample measure is that it acknowledges spirits as products to be appreciated and evaluated rather than simply controlled. We don’t see that a lot with the hard stuff.

Read the full article here.