Lindsey Nair

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Over the years, I'm sure many sources have longed to hang up on me.

Two weeks ago, it was Maggie Amaral, the manager at Carlos' Brazilian International Cuisine in Roanoke, who couldn't wait to get off the phone.

But Amaral had nothing against me; she was just eager to call the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control to confirm what I had just told her: Sangria is now legal in Virginia.

"When the weather is nice and you are here on the patio, we could do a white wine sangria instead of a red," she said excitedly. "Who wouldn't want a nice sangria? I think I am going to call them right now."

Word is spreading among chefs and restaurateurs that the Virginia legislature this year reversed a decades-old law that prohibited the mixture of liquor with beer or wine. Because authentic sangria calls for wine and a spirit, such as brandy, Grand Marnier or triple sec, the law put the nix on the well-liked Spanish party punch.

And although sangria is the most appetizing example, it's not the only drink that's back on the table.

Have you ever seen a Virginia bartender serve up a boilermaker, which is a shot of whiskey dropped down into a glass of beer? They served the liquor and the beer in two separate glasses, allowing patrons to make the drop themselves, which was the only legal way to do it before the law changed.

The General Assembly didn't stop at making liquid refreshment more accessible during the 2008 session. It also addressed foods that contain a significant percentage of alcohol when served.

Before, a food could only contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, which left the window open to dishes such as bananas Foster or tiramisu, where not every bit of alcohol is burned off during cooking. Now, so long as you are 21, you could conceivably order a bowl of ice cream topped with Bailey's Irish Cream or Kahlua.

That is, if the restaurant is willing to serve it.

The problem with liquor laws that have been in place since the 1930s is restaurateurs are probably going to be a bit hesitant about changing their practices overnight. Obeying the liquor laws in Virginia, or any state for that matter, is top priority for a business owner who wishes to stay in business.

Chris Goodman, assistant special agent in charge of the ABC's Roanoke division, says they sent out a letter to restaurants advising them of the change. But he knew of hardly any restaurants that had expressed an interest in taking advantage of it.

When I called around, no chefs talked about adding alcoholic desserts to the menu and Amaral was the only one who wanted to start serving sangria right away. She said Carlos' actually used to serve sangria before they realized it was against the rules.

Amaral is lucky that she caught the mistake when she did. According to The Washington Post, a tapas restaurant in Old Town Alexandria was fined $2,000 in 2006 for serving a wine sangria mixed with spirits.

Then, last summer, executive chef Frank Morales at Rustico in Alexandria found out he wasn't allowed to serve his newest invention, beersicles. They're exactly what they sound like: frozen beer on a stick.

Beersicles were illegal in this state because under ABC law, beer must be served in its original container or served immediately after it is poured into a glass.

Both of those incidents riled up restaurant owners, who thought the barely post-Prohibition era laws were Draconian and ridiculous. On the blog Overlawyered.com, the headline on the beersicle story was "Virginia cracks down on scourge of people enjoying things."

The bill that put both sangria and beersicles back in the game was sponsored by Del. Terrie Suit, R-Virginia Beach.

When I checked back in with Amaral, she had already come up with a recipe for a red wine sangria with peaches, apples, orange slices, triple sec and a dash of peach schnapps. She plans to pre-mix the beverage and serve it by the glass for about $6 or $7.

Just before serving, the bartender will top off the sangria with a zap of lemon-lime soda to give it a little carbonation.

Her voice took on a dreamy tone as she imagined happy diners in a relaxing scene: "A beautiful view, a nice appetizer and a cold glass of sangria."

There are dozens of recipes for sangria and party punches. Check out the blog for a few extras.