A judge has decided that Nebraska made a mistake 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.
The products start out as brewed malt beverages but are flavored
with distilled spirits.
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.
