Why all the fuss about alcohol availability in Central Maryland?

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by oneworld25

My guess is that the lack of alcohol at supermarkets and convenience stores has more to do with the power of the liquor store lobby than with any sort of worry about the effects of alcohol.

I agree. When I lived in Minneapolis, liquor stores were far and few between, closed by 10pm, and were closed on Sunday. The one or two grocery stores that sold alcohol did so through a separate, but attached, "store". There has been an effort to get at least wine in grocery stores, but that is constantly shot down by the "it will encourage more drinking/young drinkers" mantra, which is silly considering that Minnesotans have extremely liberal views when it comes to consuming alcohol. Not to mention that any time a new business plans to open selling alcohol off-sale, they are shot down. The reason being that the few liquor store owners have a lobby and effectively prohibit any one from "taking away" business from them even though the public wants more options when it comes to places to purchase alcohol.

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

Maryland Law limits the number of licenses that can be held by a corporate entity. So chains cannot have alcohol at all their locations. And yes a big reason is the political clout of the independent license holders

Massachusetts has a similar law. Thankfully, the local Trader Joe's was one of the many in that elected to sell beer/wine.

Originally Posted by e30is

In my experience, grocery stores and gas stations that do sell alcohol here don't have a huge selection like liquor stores do. Even in places like VA where they sell alcohol, there really isn't too much in variety that I would be eager to buy unless it is in a liquor store (probably due to the liquor store lobby as mentioned). Plus there isn't anyone in the grocery store who would know better about alcohol than those who work at the liquor store. While I'm not exactly an alcohol connoisseur, I like to try different selections once in a while and I'm good friends with a guy who operates a liquor store in Riverdale Park in PG. I'm certainly against the high alcohol taxes in MD, but we still attract folks from PA (where their alcohol laws are behind the times) because they know they can still buy all the alcohol they want under one roof.

Gas stations generally do not have much of a selection in any State that allows them to sell alcohol, generally just your typical BMC, one or two larger microbrews, and maybe one local craft.

Grocery stores have specialty managers to oversee items in the store that do not fall under general groceries. So a grocery store that has a liquor isle will have a manager/purchaser who is familiar with the alcohol they sell. Then again, those who buy alcohol from a grocery store either know what they are going to get or are just looking to pick up something quick. Same with those who shop at gas stations.

[boreatwork]

Originally Posted by P47P47

I'm glad that there's a liquor store near my house (Goldberg's in Brooklyn Park) that has a drive-up window.


Frank's Den in Glen Burnie and 177 Liquors in Pasadena have drive-up window service, too.

...drive through liquor stores are standard in PG county. I always wondered if the Baltimore area had any.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by boreatwork

...drive through liquor stores are standard in PG county. I always wondered if the Baltimore area had any.

I didn't know that they were standard in PG. I don't think that there are any within Baltimore City. I don't think that there are any in Baltimore County, either, but can't say positively. I mentioned the three that I know of in northern Anne Arundel County. I think there's one more, maybe in Harwood, but again, can't say for sure.

[Tom Lennox 70]

I know of one in PG County near College Park which does a lot of college business, and now Goldbergs in Anne Arundel County. The one license per company law is just dumb. But of course they will pick the best locations. Safeway in College Park that sells to college kids and Rite Aid on Howard street in Bmore City that sells to the ghetto masses.......go there at 5 PM any day its actually quite a sight to behold the lines all 6-7 deep with most of hte registers open and people with baskets full of beer and hard liquor.

Limiting alcohol locations does not cut down on drinking. It only inconvenicnes people. I will always the beer with the cookout, just in Baltimore County I have to make an extra stop at the liquor store while in most of America its just one more item at the supermarket along with the hot dogs and chips.

And now Baltimore City is trying to renege on the grandfathered liquor stores which is BAD business practice. Again if they want the corner liquor stores closed they should just allow liquor sales at Walmart and gas stations.

In most of the Eastern Shore including Ocean City you CAN get alcohol at gas stations, same with Garrett County. I THINK you can in Harford and Cecil. I know even in some other rural and less nanny state counties like Washington County and Carroll County they still have these restrictions.

[Tom Lennox 70]

I'm curious whether state law prohibits selling beer in gas stations but there's an exemption for the Eastern Shore and Garrett County, or there IS no state law and places like Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Baltimore County etc passed their own nanny state laws banning beer sales at gas stations.

On the Eastern Shore while you can get beer at gas stations, I don't think you can get it at supermarkets or convenience stores. Even in many parts of liberal Northern Virginia like Loudoun County you can get alcohol at Walmart.

[e30is]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I agree. When I lived in Minneapolis, liquor stores were far and few between, closed by 10pm, and were closed on Sunday. The one or two grocery stores that sold alcohol did so through a separate, but attached, "store". There has been an effort to get at least wine in grocery stores, but that is constantly shot down by the "it will encourage more drinking/young drinkers" mantra, which is silly considering that Minnesotans have extremely liberal views when it comes to consuming alcohol. Not to mention that any time a new business plans to open selling alcohol off-sale, they are shot down. The reason being that the few liquor store owners have a lobby and effectively prohibit any one from "taking away" business from them even though the public wants more options when it comes to places to purchase alcohol.

Massachusetts has a similar law. Thankfully, the local Trader Joe's was one of the many in that elected to sell beer/wine.

Gas stations generally do not have much of a selection in any State that allows them to sell alcohol, generally just your typical BMC, one or two larger microbrews, and maybe one local craft.

Grocery stores have specialty managers to oversee items in the store that do not fall under general groceries. So a grocery store that has a liquor isle will have a manager/purchaser who is familiar with the alcohol they sell. Then again, those who buy alcohol from a grocery store either know what they are going to get or are just looking to pick up something quick. Same with those who shop at gas stations.

There is nothing wrong with grocery stores selling wine and beer for the most part.


However if that is allowed, it would bring chain liquor stores to the state and that could run out mom and pop stores immediately. But I also think there are a lot of liquor store that set up shop and and do nothing to help the customers.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

I'm curious whether state law prohibits selling beer in gas stations but there's an exemption for the Eastern Shore and Garrett County, or there IS no state law and places like Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Baltimore County etc passed their own nanny state laws banning beer sales at gas stations.

On the Eastern Shore while you can get beer at gas stations, I don't think you can get it at supermarkets or convenience stores. Even in many parts of liberal Northern Virginia like Loudoun County you can get alcohol at Walmart.

My understanding is that the State of Maryland allows each county to "bend the rules" to a slight degree, if you will.

Originally Posted by e30is

There is nothing wrong with grocery stores selling wine and beer for the most part.


However if that is allowed, it would bring chain liquor stores to the state and that could run out mom and pop stores immediately. But I also think there are a lot of liquor store that set up shop and and do nothing to help the customers.

Why would it if the provision is only for expansion to grocery stores? I have never seen, let alone heard of, a ma and pa liquor store or gas station go out of business because one of those mega liquor stores opened up near by. Competition is good for business, that is why you will see three different gas stations across the street from each other with three different pricing. You might think that the station with the cheapest prices will get all the business, but that is not true. Consumers tend to be loyal to their "brand". And the few that have no loyalties and shop for the lowest prices are not enough in number to really make too much of a difference. This is true in particular with liquor stores as space limitations generally dictate what and how much you can carry and sell. Plus, distribution comes into play as not all distributors carry the same stuff.

I personally like the mega liquor stores because they tend to carry what I am looking for if I want something a little more obscure or different. However, I will always go to my local liquor store when I go for my old standbys, or sometimes just out of convenience.

[iloveparadise]

Yes, I know this is an old thread but I wanted to state that I was in a Giant grocery store in Maryland (Gaithersburg) looking for beer today and found out that there was no "beer aisle". I don't know what spurred this law of not allowing alcohol in grocery stores but I think it's ridiculous. Was there an official study showing that people who are intoxicated tend to commit crimes? What is the justification for this law? What did the lawmakers expect to prove? When was this law put in effect and has it helped in any way? These questions need to be answered and re-evaluated. If they think alcohol causes crimes then they need to make it an illegal drug, otherwise, making this ban of sales in grocery stores is just an inconvenience and not helping anything at all.

[casualsurfer]

Reviving an old thread here: I just moved to Baltimore and was at first shocked to see so many liquor stores - I thought the population must be raging alcoholics to support the number of liquor stores that I saw in just a few minutes' drive. Compared to Indianapolis where I lived or SoCal where I grew up, you hardly ever see liquor stores. And then I found out grocery stores and places like Walmart, Target, and Costco aren't allowed to sell alcohol, that really made me super upset: Costco has an assortment of private labeled (Kirkland brand) light beer and 20-year old Scotch that not only costs much less than branded products, but tastes awesome, and now I can no longer get those in Baltimore.

[pcity]

You can go to DC's Costco for liquor.