If you’re thinking about trying a new beer, it may be illegal for your bartender to give you a sample. A bill passed by the General Assembly might let him. Gov. John Kasich should sign it.

Ohio alcohol law is complicated. Some provisions allow for tastings in some places under some circumstances. But section 4301.22 of the Ohio Revised Code currently says alcohol permit holders may not give away beer or liquor.

Under H.B. 444, businesses with most kinds of “D” permits that provide for selling alcohol to be consumed on the premises, would be allowed to give paying customers up to four tasting samples a day.

It’s hard to tell whether you’ll like a beer or liquor you haven’t tried yet: The flavors vary widely, as do people’s tastes. Yet for some customers, buying a full glass is too much of an investment to make in a beverage they’re not sure they’ll enjoy. So if they can’t get a sample, they’ll stick to what they know.

A free sample can introduce a customer to a beverage he turns out to like. That adds to the customer’s enjoyment of his night out, which is good for him and the establishment that serves him. It’s also a way for a new beverage to establish itself in the marketplace, thus benefiting innovative producers, including craft brewers.

Restricting free samples may serve a reasonable purpose: If bars offered free samples on the street, they might seduce people who are trying to abstain. But H.B. 444 limits free samples to paying customers.

Governor Kasich should sign the bill and make it easier for drinkers to explore new tastes.

First Published December 20, 2016, 5:00 a.m.