DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2024)

Seconded. There are some gems but definitely check the date on the can/bottle, there were several 6 month old+ IPA's in the singles section last week

 

There’s been some chatter on the news and online articles that MD Gov Wes Moore is pushing for a bill to make beer and wine sales in grocery stores legal across the state. Clearly this will negatively impact small business owners for big business grocery store profits and customer convenience (perhaps slightly lower costs as well). Wondering from a craft beer consumer (with us Beer Advocates being yet a subgroup within the greater craft beer consumer group) how this will impact us. I know from lots of out of state travel and shopping there still seems to be a synergy between boutique store craft beer options to get the good stuff (high cost markups and still some freshness issues), with grocery stores carrying a moderate amount of options, lower cost, but serious freshness issues on a lot of shelf and fridge stock.

 

I think it would tough for the stores that are literally in a shopping center with a grocery store here in MoCo. They will have to adapt and I would hope the distributors would be aware that they could lose that account to closure and might help them get better product alternatives, but that is probably giving too much credit to pure capitalists. I doubt it will impact the liquor stores in other counties since they still have the booze as a draw, but I don't go to any of those other than Perfect Pour, so I don't know how many have good beer selections at this point.

That being said, historically, I am much more likely to buy wine than beer at a grocery store. When I lived in DC, I bought more beer at Yes! and Whole Foods than liquor stores because they generally had better cold selections. I'm still going to buy most of my beer from the breweries around here and my local beer/wine store that is not next to a grocery store.

 

If you want to make craft beer better you loosen up the rules that restrict breweries opening

 

Agree 100% I know a person who was looking to open a brewery a few years ago in Md but all of the various permit requirements and regulations made him seriously look at opening one in PA where the brewery rules are much less regulated. Ultimately with the changing craft beer landscape, he’s held out a while to see how things shake out. Probably a smart move.

 

This was bound to happen. Despite all the quirky laws so many States have, Maryland was only one of three to outlaw beer/wine sales in grocery stores. But, as a craft beer consumer, my loyalties will still be with the small independent as long as economically feasible. Most of us would prefer Troegs instead of Bud. Or for comparison, Perfect Pour instead of Safeway. Hoorah for the underdog.

There are sure to be plenty of grey areas. For instance, many shopping centers have non-compete clauses in their leasing agreements. Or local laws may supersede a new State law. In the long run it will come down to, as you and others have stated, selection, price and convenience.

 

Yesterday I found Bourbon County Brand Stout at a Safeway in Burke, VA for $ 9.99 a bottle. I had to pick up a couple of bottles at that price.

 

I stumbled across the same at a Safeway in Belle Haven. I hadn't planned on buying more, but at that price, I couldn't say "no" to another two.

 

Sale price, regular price, or mispriced?

 

I believe the “standard” price for regular BCBS is $14.99-$15.99. Only been seeing the Macaroon and Vanilla Rye variants in stores in central MD for $24.99-$27.99 range. One store still had plenty of the 2 variants but they sold out of regular. People like better quality/value ratio I suppose.

 

According to my receipt, the regular price was $ 13.99, so $ 9.99 was the sale price.