What's wrong with NY State liquor laws?

Seperate licenses are required to sell beer/soda and wine/liquor in NYS. Grocery stores sell beer as well as distributors, which is your better bet. However the state requires no exorbitant tax on beer, either the brewery does not want to distribute to NYS or no distribution compnay has picked them up as an account. Mind you we also get beer here that NJ does not get...pretty much a grass is greener on the other side scenario, and I always look at it that way too whenever I go out of state "We don't get this? Really?".

 

Any proof that it is NYS law that is preventing those 3 beers from being distributed in the state? In the overwhelming number of cases, it is a decision made by the brewery that determines what states they wish to distribute in, and then for the licensed in-state distributors to decide if they want to contract with that brewery. Lots of brands are available in NY that aren't distributed in NJ - http://www.seekabrew.com/distro/compare.html

Quite a few states separate wine/liquor (or, sometimes, just liquor) licensing from beer. NY's neighbors PA does it. And lots of NJ residents think it's "bizarre" that so few grocery stores in the state have licenses to sell beer and they must patronize liquor stores for their beer purchases.

NY State's excise tax on beer is 14¢/gallon and NJ's is 12¢. That's about a penny a 12 oz. bottle, regardless of price or ABV, and both are well below the national media of 20¢/gallon. NYC does add an additional 12¢/gallon municipal tax - but most people would agree that even 2½¢ tax folded into the the price of a "craft" beer doesn't have much affect on distribution or sales.

 

It's not all bad in NY. Distribution is all decided by breweries. Although, NY in general doesn't make it easy for anyone to bring a beer into the market wether in state or not. I think you may see terrapin in not too long since they are widely distributed in PA. That is just a guess by me after recently living in PA and now back to NY. I would be much happier if I could get Otherside and Carton cans in upstate NY then any of those you listed personally.

 

Obviously can't account for personal preference, but having lived in both states, NYS' distribution as a general matter seems to be stronger than NJ's. Seems like a lot of the breweries that are in NJ but not NYS are smaller, regional breweries, which makes sense - NJ is going to be a much easier state to expand into and supply product to than NYS.

 

New York State gets pretty good distribution, imo, and there is plenty of stuff that you can probably get in NY that you can't get in NJ. It has nothing to do with liquor laws.

 

I buy beer in NJ and PA on a weekly basis as well as NY. Out of the three I prefer New York's liquor and distribution laws, and I have access to the widest range of selection in NY.

The higher cost is associated with the Port Authority bridge tolls (GWB is $110 to cross for an 18 wheeler), as well real estate costs for the distributors warehouses, and the living wages paid to employees and skilled drivers.

I like being able to purchase beer at the supermarket, and there are bottle shops (good ones) in Queens and Long Island that are better than the majority in NNJ.

Whole Foods in Paramus has a special license where they can somehow sell beer and wine inside of the supermarket and I've gotten some good selection there, but for the most part, your not going to find a better selection in NJ than you will in NY.

And the growler selection at bars and breweries in the city far exceeds whats offered in NJ. You can even find Carton at a few places to go in growlers in a few spots around the city.

Regarding Fegley's, they are still a much smaller brewery and haven't yet decided to expand their distribution footprint to NY. I can't even find their product in Pennsylvania north of Lehigh Valley.

 

Not a "special license" but another example of so-called "Home Rule" being written into the state's ABC laws, in which the state law for the retail off-premise license states that

There are several other towns that allow beer and wine to be sold inside licensed grocery or drug stores, rather than the more common "attached" liquor stores or the liquor stores that simply license a grocery store brand name as a dba.

 

What's wrong is that you can't drink a beer in public like in Tokyo...

 

You're misinformed about a few things here....the biggest assuming that NJ and NY should sell the same beers.

 

The correct answer is, "A lot," but they have nothing to do with the scenario you described above.

 

The differences in location are quite true:
For example, where I live

• Liquor Store (county run) - only place to buy liquor, usually also sell wine and unrefridgerated beer
• Beer/wine stores - have just that, no liquor
• Grocery stores, convience stores, etc - don't have any alcohol.