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jackospades88 t1_j6ohv3i wrote

Reply to comment by dammitOtto in Spurred by Gov. Murphy’s reform pledge, NJ lawmakers are working on changing liquor licensing laws that have remained largely unchanged since the years just following Prohibition: The current laws make obtaining a liquor license difficult and allow for a finite number of retail consumption licenses by rollotomasi07071

Wait, breweries can't have TVs and music?

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dammitOtto t1_j6ojz5u wrote

Well, they can technically have two, under a certain size screen.

And all music has to be under a certain decibel level, or it's considered an "event", which is restricted to a certain number per year.

Also no other beverages. Coffee or sprite is strictly illegal.

Fun stuff.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/new-jersey-bars-restaurants-breweries-beer-liquor-20221119.html%3foutputType=amp

It's the restaurant lobby, sponsored mostly by large chain restaurants, that have gotten us here. They say that it's so unfair that breweries don't have to bid to get a liquor license from their town. Those poor poor Applebee's being pushed out of the way by the entitled, uppity craft breweries.

From the article -

"holders of manufacturing licenses, brewers were “given privileges they weren’t entitled to: selling beer by the glass and hosting special events.”

If breweries want to be unshackled, “get the right license,” Weiss instructed,"

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jackospades88 t1_j6okvyg wrote

>Well, they can technically have two, under a certain size screen.

Yeah looked it up...under 65" lol. That's such a silly thing to even restrict size.

>Also no other beverages. Coffee or sprite is strictly illegal.

Nothing like shooting down alternatives for breweries to promote and better include designated drivers for safer roads, which when I last checked are the densest (or at least near the top) in the country.

I guess the real solution is to eliminate the liquor license quantity rules.

I never knew all these extra rules you listed, and admittedly I haven't been to a whole lot of breweries here, but now that I think about it they are very "bare" and the no food/alternative drinks/limited entertainment BS explains it.

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Pigsin5pace t1_j6ol63c wrote

There's loopholes around it. You can have both but I believe you can't show live events at breweries. Bar and restaurant owners want to maintain their customers so they limit the abilities of breweries with super nit picky laws. They're trying to pass another where you can only have ~60 events a year. This includes participating in events not only hosting. It's really a shame how greedy other small business owners are that they destroy an emerging market as opposed to find a mutually beneficial situation.

So call your legislature to tell them to support the Brewers guild of NJ and if you see an IPA called Brew Jersey from any NJ brewery buy it since the funds supports the guild.

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jackospades88 t1_j6om13s wrote

>They're trying to pass another where you can only have ~60 events a year. This includes participating in events not only hosting.

Jesus, that's so sad. I'm guessing this includes beer festivals, which is most of my exposure to new/different breweries. It's not like bars are at festivals promoting their beer lol.

Personally I'm not a frequent drinker, but I do find the atmosphere of breweries to be much better than a bar, seems much more personal and intimate. A shame that the guys on top would rather stop emerging businesses vs adapting themselves.

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