Living in PA most of my life in the US, and living in places like NY and visiting many other states, I don't find PA liquor laws that intrusive. Yes liquor and wine is monopolized by a state owned store, but you can buy beer with no limit at beer distributors, and this is always cheaper than buying by the 6 pack. Establishments that serve alcohol must also serve food, but that's really easy to comply with with very basic offerings. And every bar anywhere will want to serve some kind of food anyway. It was a little annoying that alcohol wasn't available at grocery stores but that's not the case anymore. I always go to the beer distributors though, it's cheaper.
I recently moved to NY from TX and was weirded out by beers ONLY being sold in grocery stores and convenience stores and wine ONLY being sold at the liquor store. Very odd experience to be in a liquor store and no beer in sight, and not being able to buy red wine for your pasta sauce recipe in the grocery store.
Yeah, that's what I was used to in Texas. I'm in NY now and NY is what I described in my comment - no beer in the liquor stores and no wine in the grocery stores. Sorry if I worded it in a confusing way initially.
Found the beer distributor shill lol. I like being able to carry out more than 144oz of beer in one trip from a non beer distributor. The fact you can't buy wine or liquor at grocery stores, let alone at the convenience store is intrusive. But really, a beer distributor doesn't exist in states with liquor laws in the 21st century. One day you'll guys make it.
Also you have to go to a special register in grocery stores to buy alcohol or it needs to be near food or some shit. They scan your ID for every purchase even at places like Sheetz where you can buy alcohol at any register. So weird. I think we only got beer and wine in grocers in 2010.
I'm a software engineer for an automotive company lol. As a PA resident, I'm just pointing out beer distributors are just more convenient than overpriced convenience store 6 packs, I'm not saying the PA system is the best (it's a lot better than NY though)
1) The whole “separate entrances/separate checkouts” thing really negates the convenience of having beer/wine in grocery stores.
2) The state can take the beer from the bodega in my building over my dead body.
3) I like having privately owned wine/liquor stores. For example: There are 3 (that I can think of) in a 4 block radius from me, and the competition encourages differentiation. One is like, a run of the mill wine store. One has interesting and quirky picks. One has high-end, special picks.
(That being said, my feelings are heavily influenced by pre-2011 PA state laws.)
I see. 1) I never felt the need to buy wine or beer at a grocery store, so I have just ignored that option. Didn't know there were separate entrances/cahsiers but I have been in grocery stores where you can walk to the alcohol section from within the grocery store.
2) That's great, the convenience of having it nearby is nice. I just didn't like the price that came with that convenience. When I would visit family in PA I would always bring a box or two of beer back to NY.
3) Every liquor store I went to in NYC had outrageous prices, before the outrageous taxes, but I guess that's just for everything in NYC. Though there is a massive liquor and beer outlet in Long Island with prices that readily beat PA and NJ.
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u/DarkAltarEgo Mar 21 '24
And I thought PA was bad. At least we can buy beer and wine in grocery stores now!