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When you hear a law has some unintended consequences, it’s not out of line to brace yourself for bad news—especially if that law originates from our nation’s capital. But when it comes to Washington, D.C.’s alcohol permit system, a pleasant outcome has arisen that has helped make the District an exciting place for adventurous oenophiles.

While cities such as offer an enormous variety of bottles at bars, restaurants, and shops thanks to the many small specialty importers based in the area, the Big Apple, like markets across America are subject Prohibition-era laws stipulating a three-tier system that includes importers and distributors. That can lead to a tangled web that

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