No we don't sell beer; or odd liquor laws and SCs

[alphaboi]

I work in a supermarket. I'm well aware that most states grocery stores can sell beer (including NYS, only 30 mins away). But this is PA and we have some bizarre idiotic liquor laws. During fireworks season we get alot of customers from the Empire State buying fireworks. I've lost tract of how many times I've had a conversation like this;

C: Excuse me, where's your beer?
Me: This is PA we don't sell beer.
C: Huh, what do you mean you don't sell beer?
Me: It's state law, if you wan't to buy beer you have to go to a case distributer or a bar/deli.
C: That's dum.

Sometimes it's not beer, but wine or liquor. I once tried to explain our system of state stores to a couple visiting from Nevada (where you can get it anywhere). Or "non-alcoholic" beer and wine; since it sill has .5 ABV you need to be 21 to buy it. For a while corporate decided to extend the age restriction to things such as grape juice and apple cider ! That was fun. Or the manager who decided we wouldn't sell drink mixers to anyone under 21.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I work in a supermarket, and our licencing laws are as follows; no alcohol sold before 8 or after 11. We open at 7am every day but Sunday, and close at 10 every day but Sunday. The fun really starts at Christmas when we have extending opening hours, and divvy customers think they can come in after 11 and buy booze.

[SteverinoNY]

Our Rules regarding beer and mixers are even better in my store. Due to several failed stings (how hard is it to ID someone?), all supervisors need to approve all beer sales. WTF. So annoying. I'll go into more detail in a later post, but its so frustrating to get yelled at because of someone else's stupidity.

[Greenday]

From what I am to understand about New Jersey's laws, the only two laws about alcohol that I know about are you can't sell it to someone under 21 and you can't serve alcohol on Sundays until after noon.

And why is it, in PA, that beer and liqour stores are different? Is that some silly law too?

[alphaboi]

...And why is it, in PA, that beer and liqour stores are different? Is that some silly law too?

The only "liquor stores" in PA are the government-run Wine & Spirits Shoppes. They have a total monopoly on the sale of hard liquor and a near-total monopoly on the sale of wine (wineries can sell their own product). They are staffed by civil servants (from what I hear it's a very cushy job). If you want to buy beer you have 2 choices; go to case distributer where you must buy by the case or keg, or go to a bar, deli, or restaurant that sells six-packs. But you can only buy 2 six-packs at a time; so you need to buy them, step outside the door, hand them to a friend, and go back inside. It's a stupid system, but it's not going to change any time soon.

[PuckishOne]

And why is it, in PA, that beer and liqour stores are different? Is that some silly law too?

Here in Washington, you can't buy beer and liquor at the same store, either, although only the liquor stores are state-regulated. For beer you just go to any supermarket or convenience store, provided you do so before the cutoff time (can't remember exactly, but I think it's something like midnight) - after that time the stores pull/cover/lock up the beer.

And we're now flirting with having some of those state-run stores open on Sundays, after who-knows-how-long with the blue laws.

Anybody know where it is that they have the drive-up windows on the liquor stores? I want to say Texas, but I'm not sure...

[trunks2k]

The only "liquor stores" in PA are the government-run [URL="http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/"] It's a stupid system, but it's not going to change any time soon.

It's changed a bit, didn't they just allow cases to be sold on sundays?

[toolbert]

that PA law threw me off when I visited a good friend of mine in Pittsburg last year. he sent me out to go get some beer, but neglected to tell me the law that was in place. when I went to local supermarket I was totally stumped. I must of looked like a bafoon trying to find the beer in the one place I always knew it to be...not in the hotdog place that was located near the university. after it got cleared up I was still confused, but I accepted it. luckily there aren't a whole lot of people getting busted for brewing their own beer around there =3.

[alphaboi]

It's changed a bit, didn't they just allow cases to be sold on sundays?

Yeah, but only between noon and 5pm. PALCB is also alowed to open 10% of it's stores on Sunday. The entire idea of a state monopoly is f_cked up.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

There's no such laws in Wisconsin. Liquor and beer are sold right in grocery stores. No state-run liquor stores or blue laws.

Is it any wonder we're a bunch of drunks?

[Crosshair]

Thank goodness I live in North Dakota. Some places say, "A chicken in every pot." Here in ND it is, "A keg in every corner." OK so I made that last one up, but it isn't far from the truth. The best thing to do is have 6 people with cell phones go to different liquor stores in town and everyone buying X alcohol at whatever store had it the cheapest.

[Dreamstalker]

Anybody know where it is that they have the drive-up windows on the liquor stores? I want to say Texas, but I'm not sure...

NM, I think (at least they were mentioned in the drunk-driving video training I had to do to get my permit the first time). Never seen one in person however.

I wouldn't be too surprised if TX had them as well, though.

[Kelshir]

Anybody know where it is that they have the drive-up windows on the liquor stores? I want to say Texas, but I'm not sure...

Texas has a lot of them, especially east Texas.

[Greenday]

Hm, apparently there are also pharmacies in other states that sell beer and/or alcohol? I once had a customer come in and asked where our beer was. I told him we don't sell beer and he got pissed off and was ranting about how none of the pharmacies in the area have beer. Why the hell didn't he just try a liqour store is beyong me.

[Cia]

Anybody know where it is that they have the drive-up windows on the liquor stores? I want to say Texas, but I'm not sure...

South Dakota but the only liquor store with a drive-up window that I can think of is Canyon Lake Liquors. It might be the only one in the state for all I know.

Lousiana has drive-thru liquor stores - you literally drive through the building. When I was living down there they didn't even have an open container law.