Arizona Goes Dry

[bluesbassdad]

Last weekend I broke under the stress of being out of one of my favorite mid-price bottlings, and at the same time I had a hankering to try Saz Jr. I went to Binny's website, as I had done several time since I moved here, and placed the order. Four days later I received a phone call advising me that Binny's stopped shipping to Arizona two months ago.

I was only partly surprised. After all, Sam's had never been willing to ship to me here, and Hi Time had ceased abruptly a year or so ago.

Unless I'm willing to order from Sportsman's in Phoenix, whereby I would pay Arizona's inflated prices, Arizona sales tax and shipping cost, I'll just have to learn to live with the limited selection here. What the heck; maybe I can convince myself that a $20 bottle of WT 101 tastes better than the $13 version I used to buy (on sale) at the corner drugstore when I was back in Long Beach.

Maybe it's time to visit my son in Huntington Beach again.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[FlashPuppy]

Dave,

You ever thought of moving? Say to Kentucky?

[TimmyBoston]

They aren't looking to make Arizona truly dry are they? (No pun intended)

They aren't looking to ban all alcohol sales? It doesn't seem like it, but that title really spooked me.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Last weekend I broke under the stress of being out of one of my favorite mid-price bottlings, and at the same time I had a hankering to try Saz Jr. I went to Binny's website, as I had done several time since I moved here, and placed the order. Four days later I received a phone call advising me that Binny's stopped shipping to Arizona two months ago.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

I am sorry to hear that Dave.

A little off topic, but I recently tried to send a bottle of bourbon to the States to a member, but was told that I couldn't send alcohol to America.

The shipping would have been way too much anyway.

Ed

[HighTower]

I am sorry to hear that Dave.

A little off topic, but I recently tried to send a bottle of bourbon to the States to a member, but was told that I couldn't send alcohol to America.

The shipping would have been way too much anyway.

Ed

I have got 3 bottles from Japan sent to Australia now, and they were US$45-$55 sent EMS shipping, I had them within 5 days.

If I cant get the bottle anywhere else, I don't mind paying that for shipping. Once that bottle turns up, it's all worth it.

Scott

[ILLfarmboy]

That's sad news. I fear more and more states will place the same restrictions on out-of-state alcohol sales. Part neo-prohibition and part money grubbing politicians/bureaucrats who sit up nights scheming new ways to siphon more money out of the private sector. Oh well, when out-of-state sales become verboten here in the "land of Lincoln" I'll be glad Chicago never fell into Lake Michigan.:grin:

[Virus_Of_Life]

... Maybe it's time to visit my son in Huntington Beach again.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Dave, if you don't come over to visit him soon there is always a chance a package marked glass lamp could travel from this area to that, if you catch my drift... :skep:

[bluesbassdad]

Jeremy,

I'm not tough enough any more to live in Kentucky.

I grew up in southerin Illinois, less than 100 mi. NW of Kentucky as the crow flies. I remember humid summers, tornados, skeeters and chiggers, none of which I've dealt with on a daily basis for almost 50 years.

However, I do recall that a week or two each spring and each fall was both beautiful and comfortable.

Perhaps my recently discovered interest in bourbon would be enough to tip the scales.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[hookfinger]

UPS is a good option for shipping. They don't question what you have in the package.

[bluesbassdad]

Tim,

One of my many quirks is my enjoyment in creating eye-catching headlines. I over did it this time.

Based on a two-year-ago reading of the Arizona liquor law here's what I think happened. The law has provisions for out-of-state retailers to ship to Arizona residents. However, there are papers to file to get started and to continue. For all I know there may be taxes to be collected and turned over. I remember plowing through it a couple times just to get the general idea; I didn't come close to absorbing it all.

I believe that Sam's looked at the law long ago and decided that compliance was either too hard to figure out or, more likely, not worth the effort. I believe Hi Time and Binny's, failing to find any outright prohibition in the law, may have ignored some or all of the administrative provisions -- until someone ratted on them, possibly resulting in receipt of a letter from the Arizona Attorney General. Heck, just receiving the package of forms and a copy of the law would probably have done the trick.

AFAIK, there is no move afoot to ban or additionally restrict sales of alcohol in Arizona. As I mentioned in another thread yesterday, the Basha's supermarket chain has announced that it is buying Sportsman's Fine Wines & Spirits, which has four stores in the Phoenix area. That seems like a strange acquisition, given that grocery stores here sell all alcoholic beverages, but it suggests that sale of alcohol is considered a viable business here for the foreseeable future.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

Christian,

Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge!

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[gothbat]

Sorry to hear that. Even though shipping restrictions are by no means a new thing it’s still absolutely ludicrous that you should be prohibited from shipping something that is perfectly legal in all 50 states to another state. What’s worse is the fact that the only logical explanation for this would be that it is in the name of maximizing revenue for the state. That’s the government for ya…

[cowdery]

Beverage alcohol is the one, big, glaring exception to the Commerce Clause. It may be the only one.

[kbuzbee]

... given that grocery stores here sell all alcoholic beverages, but it suggests that sale of alcohol is considered a viable business here for the foreseeable future.

Dave, like most things in government today, I'd bet my bottom dollar the sole issue here is taxation, not prohibition. They don't want to stop you from buying your favorite libation, they just want their cut. All states are working through the taxation implications of all internet sales right now, not just liquor. It just hits the forefront because it's already so highly regulated.

On a related note - I scored the only case of GTS '06 to ship to Ohio this year!!!!! (According to the State Liquor Commission) WoooHoo!!!!

Ken