Grocery chains push for beer, wine in Colorado stores

A coalition of grocery stores is looking to let Colorado voters decide if they want to allow full-strength beer and wine sales at supermarkets.

The Denver Post reports that the group headed by King Soopers, Safeway and Walmart is drafting ballot language to expand sales outside of liquor stores.

The Your Choice Colorado coalition will debut its initiative Wednesday in Denver, though exact wording of the 2016 ballot initiative is unclear.

The initiative comes after years of indecision at the General Assembly, where a bill to expand alcohol sales to supermarkets was defeated as recently as 2011.

Craft brewers who oppose the change say the current system has played a major part in growing the state’s craft brewing industry, and worry that a change would close liquor stores and cut brewers’ profits.