Outdated, Stale Liquor Laws...

If I were you I wouldn't worry. I have made numerous 'visits' to Total Wine and More (Claymont, DE) over the years I have never had issues.

I will state that I try to not have hundreds and hundreds of dollars of goods in the trunk of my car; I only purchase what I could tolerate losing.

Cheers!

 

There are many "outdated" laws in NJ. Depending on ones point of view they are all useful. Breweries can't sell food. Outdated law unless you own a resturant with a liquor license.

 

Some examples that continue to frustrate and perplex me:

Colorado - Grocery stores can only sell 3.2 beer, except for each chain can have one full strength beer license (this keeps being brought up for change by grocery stores, but independent liquor stores have a strong lobby and bitch and moan that somehow, liquor stores only selling full strength is good for "the children" or some such rot)

OH/GA/IA/MA/MI/NH/NC/SC/TN/UT/WV - ABV Caps, varies by state, but as several have pointed out, I can buy everclear in several of these states and nobody will say a word to me. 13% beer? Only for alcoholics and drunks...or something. A special favorite is Ohio where we learned from Stone looking at the state that you can make >13% beer, you just can't sell it in the state.

KY - As of 2015, a brewer cannot also own a distributor. This also kills any opportunity for self distribution. This is a law that Country Boy Brewing fought for, thus I urge BA's to boycott them continuously.

PA - At bottle shops (licensed as bars/restaurants) you can buy as much beer as you want, but you can only carry out with 192 oz at a time. So, if I buy 4 six packs, I have to carry two out to my car, then walk back in and take the other two I've already paid for.

GA - (If I understand it correctly) - Breweries just can't sell a growler to go, but they can sell you the opportunity to take a brewery tour which can include up to 72 oz of beer as a souvenir.

I'm sure I can think up a few more...

 

I feel sorry for anyone that lives in Utah. That would be absolutely horrible. Yea a 12% ABV cap sucks in WV and Ohio, but I can manage with most beers (strong barleywines unfortunately usually don't make the list). I could not imagine going to a shop and being limited to 3.2% ABV

 

That used to be allowed in Wyoming, but they finally axed it. It was pretty damn awesome for traveling with groups (especially considering it is pretty much a 45 minute drive minimum between most towns) to be able to go through one of our lovely drive-thru liquor stores and get a six pack for the backseat.
I understand why they banned it and I am sure it makes sense from a public health standpoint, but no one I was ever with drank while driving. As a matter of fact, all the people I know that drink and drive still do. Even with the law change. Go figure...

As to OP's article, it should be noted that it's pretty rough when you have to come to Quebec to bask in its liberal beer laws.

 

Jack, since I read this this morning...
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/us/wine-collection-seized-pennsylvania/index.html

 

Same with Montana. But we only have a certain amount of licenses within each county. So a lot of the time you have to wait for an establishment to close before you can try to purchase it. Then it's an all out bidding war, normally between $500,000 to 1,000,000 for a license.

 

Well first they have to notice you and if you didn't violate any laws... Second they'd not bother with someone traveling through PA. Now if you were delivering it to some in PA then you'd be a bootlegger in violation of the law.

 

That was a New Hampshire thing, not Michigan.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/06/no_babies_on_beer_bottles_in_n.html

 

Independent of how he acquired the wine cellar, given that he was selling it without a license that's what'll stick and do him in.

 

You are incorrect @troygreer

http://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2015/michiganders-the-baby-has-left-the-crib/

 

You can buy plenty of full strength beers in Utah. The 3.2% abw rule only applies to draft beer.

 

Jeff,

Thanks for that; an interesting read.

I took note of:

"It's certainly antiquated; it's not consumer friendly," Milne said. "It's not a system where responsible adults find a convenient way to shop for these products. Someone who is of legal age should not be constricted."

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed that legislation in July, saying that while the state's liquor system does need to be modernized, the bill that was passed would result in higher prices for customers."

Gov. Wolf did indeed veto the legislation but the reason published there is total BS. The well being of PA constituents was the last thing he was thinking about.

Cheers!

 

You are not limited to 3.2 ABW in shops.

Beer served in a public place is not to be stronger than 3.2% ABW (which is about 4% ABV, not a lot different than many light beers).

However higher ABV beers are brewed in Utah and can be purchased for home consumption from the appropriate store. Which in Utah is basically a State owned and Operated facility that sells spirits, wines and higher ABV beers.

 

Yes. Minnesota's no Sunday sales continues to keep us in the dark age of alcohol laws. I want to live in Connecticut...

 

I doubt you ever have anything to worry about..I believe they are really targeting the people who drive to DE to buy large amounts of alcohol to A) Get lower prices and B) Pay no taxes. If you got pulled over they would probably need reason to search your trunk (if thats where it was at the time) and even if so, would then probably have to prove you indeed were bringing that from your state and thats all probably more trouble than its worth for a few home brews...

 

Drinking leads people into SIN. It's like thinking.

 

I was going to mention this as well. The liquor license market is insane in NJ. They go for upwards of $1mil. Also, at breweries you are required to go on a tour before drink any of their beer.

The whole bottle shop/beer distributor/state store thing in PA is so outdated. You can only buy wine and alcohol at state run liquor stores in PA. No beer whatsoever in those stores. And to buy beer you have the option of the distributors which until about 2 months ago, only allowed you to buy full cases of beer. And the bottle shops have the limits as noted above.

 

As a new brewer in Tennessee, it took me 8+ months to get a license that normally takes 3-4 in a state that declares beer liquor past 6.3% ABV. The whole system in whack.