In Massachusetts, Wegmans refused to come into the Commonwealth without being allowed to sell alcohol at their stores. I think they were instrumental in getting the law changed for grocery stores to be allowed to sell alcohol in up to 5 stores (used to be 3). Although there are 6 Wegmans so far in MA, and all sell beer, wine, and alcohol.
Bars also don’t have to accept out-of-state IDs as proof of age, and happy hours, free drinks, and drinking games like beer pong, are also prohibited in the state.
It wouldn’t do for me to live up there anymore. Too many rules and regulations. Glad to live down here where there are none. No offense to anyone up there mind you.
2 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
223
Earlier in the year, when we last hosted a family gathering, that’s exactly what we did. But we ordered it for delivery from our favourite Syrian restaurant. Not cheap but a heck of lot less effort than cooking a mezze from scratch.
11 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
224
America’s attitudes towards alcohol have been an interest to me since I started visiting the country in 1980. It’s one of things that make the country the most “foreign” I visit. It’s always surprised me how many casual restaurants don’t serve alcohol. But then, I come from a country where virtually every restaurant has an booze licence.
Except for those places grandfathered in, retail alcohol must be sold from a free-standing liquor store. Counties can set their own sales rules. In most places, there’s no sale of alcohol on Sundays for off-premises consumption, unless the venue has a package goods license. Im no expert😂 the laws are complicated because of the counties.
I lived in Maryland for more than 30 years before a job brought me to Upstate NY. As I recall, in Maryland one supermarket per chain per county is permitted to sell wine.
Oregon still has liquor stores, but wine, high octane beer and cider,
in addition to sake and mead and stuff are all grocery store legal 7-2 7 days a week.
We’re usually the least religious state in the country.
Beer and wine are major industries here so it makes sense for our laws to reflect that.
NY is the third largest wine producing state and the third largest beer brewing state, yet we have some of the most backwards liquor laws in the country.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
239
I imagine the major UK survey will be the long established British Social Attitudes survey but faith groups will collect data as well. The Church of England has documented its long decline. The latest figures from the BSA indicates that a majority of Britons now say they have no religion.
The national census also records the decline in the number of Britons claiming to have a religion.
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