Museum’s IMAX hopes alchohol sales will fuel movie attendance

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Now you can have a beer with Batman.

The Imax Theater at the Indiana State Museum has been integrating alcohol sales into its operation for a month to prepare for the July 20 premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

The cinema bought a three-way alcohol permit for $1,000 during an auction late last year and began serving Indiana-made craft beer and wine in June.

Manager Craig Mince said the late-June launch of the alcohol service, which excludes hard liquor, gave the theater enough time to work out any kinks before the release of the Batman blockbuster, which had sold 1,300 tickets as of July 17.

Customers have expressed surprise at seeing beer and wine options at the Imax’s concession counter, but the public has responded favorably, Mince said.

Alcohol sales don’t begin until 5 p.m., as a way to keep the service adult-oriented.

Patrons can buy 12-ounce beers and plastic cups of wine for $5.50 or 16-ounce Sun King beers for $6.

The Imax didn’t buy the alcohol permit intending for it to generate large amounts of concessions revenue, Mince said. Instead, the theater wants to use the license as a way to set its concessions apart from the competition’s and draw in more movie patrons.

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