Cheers!

The city of Westerville, Ohio used to be called the "dry capital of the world," and with good reason--none of the businesses in the town's uptown business district had served an alcoholic beverage since 1875. The Anti-Saloon League, one of those old-timey temperance groups, was even headquartered there in the early 20th century.

According to this story, all of that changed yesterday, when a pizza parlor began serving beer. The change is apparently meant to make the business district's restaurants competitive with those in new retail developments in another part of town.

Anyway, check out the story of the first beer sold in that part of town in 131 years:

"Here's to a new tradition in Westerville," local jeweler Bill Morgan said as he raised his plastic cup of Budweiser at Michael's Pizza.

[...]

Voters on November 8 approved licenses for beer and wine to be sold at Michael's Pizza and Pasquale's Pizza & Pasta, whose owner plans to start serving libations February 1.

The night of the election, Michael's Pizza owner Michael Evans said he would auction off the first beer, with the proceeds going to a local ministry.

Morgan, whose family has lived in Westerville for four generations, topped five other bidders to win the beer for $150.

A hundred fifty bucks for a f'n Budweiser? I'll never complain about the price of a beer at the ballpark again.

...Okay, so I lied about that last part.