Buying Single Beers (Off-Premise) in Washington, DC

[DaRiv18]

[The first 9 posts in this thread were originally responses to this Little Serow post, but the topic has become expansive and interesting enough where it merits its own thread. Cheers, DR]

On 7/22/2017 at 8:53 AM, Ericandblueboy said:

Does anyone know of a place nearby where I can buy a can or bottle of beer?

Lol, a bit of a random question.  Which I welcome!  I would be shocked if there isn't a nearby liquor store in Dupont Circle, for cryin' out loud.  That said, I would be also somewhat shocked if they also sold "single serves" of beers, which many ANCs pushed to restrict, since it often leads to unregulated "outside bars" of people just loitering and drinking them on the street.  Of course, now if they are craft fancy beers, they seem to find a way.  So, good luck on "a can or bottle."  I would love to hear about your motivation.

[Ericandblueboy]

Hmm....if you're gonna stand outside for an hr when it's 100 degrees out, you'd need something cold.  I think I'll just bring my own in a little cooler.  And I have Yeti tumblers to keep everything chilled.

ETA: never made it last afternoon.  Zeus got in the way.

[dracisk]

Cairo Liquors is right down the street at 17th and Corcoran. Not sure about singles, but you could call them.

[eatruneat]

6 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Does anyone know of a place nearby where I can buy a can or bottle of beer?

Several years ago, my cousin and his wife came down from NYC and treated me to Palena. My cousin is not much of a wine drinker so the sommelier opened a few large format beers for us to drink through dinner. When we finished one bottle he asked us what we would like for our next one. My cousin jokingly asked if they had any "OE." It took a beat before the sommelier realized he meant Old English, but called my cousin's bluff and said that he would go to the closest liquor store and pick one up for us if that is what we wanted. We did not and moved on to another large bottle of very good beer. 

[DonRocks]

6 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Hmm....if you're gonna stand outside for an hr when it's 100 degrees out, you'd need something cold.  I think I'll just bring my own in a little cooler.  And I have Yeti tumblers to keep everything chilled.

You can always get one of these and fill it with liquor at home.

(Seriously, it makes more sense to do something like this, than to walk around looking for a 7-11 selling singles.)

[Ericandblueboy]

Wards 2 & 6 (and perhaps other parts of DC) have a rule against selling single beers.  

[Tweaked]

Check the Whole Foods at P and 14, Whole Foods have the mix and match singles section, plus large sized single bottles.  you'll need more than 12oz to get you through a hot hour long line! 

[lhollers]

On 7/22/2017 at 3:53 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Wards 2 & 6 (and perhaps other parts of DC) have a rule against selling single beers.  

This is actually super interesting - does that prohibition apply only to "convenience" stores? (However that may be defined in statute.) I only ask because the new Craft Beer Cellar on 3rd and H NE allows you to build your own six-pack...wonder if you could just buy one beer (I've bought only four 16-oz. cans on occasion, but never less), or if you're forced to buy two to avoid violating that regulation.

Thanks for the info!

[Mark Dedrick]

From experience, you can't just buy a single beer at that store. I was trying to buy something to take to a party we were going to at somebody's house, and I tried to purchase a single large bottle. They told me I'd have to pick up at least one other beer before we could complete the sale. 

[pras]

On 7/22/2017 at 9:01 AM, DaRiv18 said:

[The first 9 posts in this thread were originally responses to this Little Serow post, but the topic has become expansive and interesting enough where it merits its own thread. Cheers, DR]

Lol, a bit of a random question.  Which I welcome!  I would be shocked if there isn't a nearby liquor store in Dupont Circle, for cryin' out loud.  That said, I would be also somewhat shocked if they also sold "single serves" of beers, which many ANCs pushed to restrict, since it often leads to unregulated "outside bars" of people just loitering and drinking them on the street.  Of course, now if they are craft fancy beers, they seem to find a way.  So, good luck on "a can or bottle."  I would love to hear about your motivation.

My most expensive (volume wise) beer purchase was a single bottle of Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Calvados Edition, sourced from Connecticut Avenue Wine and Spirits.  A stout brewed with Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) and aged in calvados barrels.  

[DaRiv18]

I personally am against single serves, and even sat on an ANC alcohol licensing committee to champion the cause.  Unfortunately, as soon as they passed the single serve moratorium, the big breweries came out with a new product where they basically duct-taped two tall boys together and sold them.  The old boys on the streets would pool their cash to buy and split these, so it didn't altogether eliminate the outdoor bars (and public intoxication/urination/etc.) issues.  

The most compelling argument for me was for the liquor store in Union Station, where most of their customers just bought a beer for their Amtrak trip (in a private space, not outdoor public space) back to MD or further down the corridor.  Otherwise, just buy the damn six pack at retail price!  I get that there are $20 bottles of beer, but still.  Given the reality that the DC police are spread too thin, and there are admittedly bigger fish to fry than corner drinking, just put the onus on the shops to not sell them.  Plus, I think stores can apply for an exemption from this rule anyways.

[Ericandblueboy]

How is denying poor people the right to buy 1 beer constitutional?

[DonRocks]

6 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

How is denying poor people the right to buy 1 beer constitutional?

[Easy folks - let's not make a Constitutional Crisis over a local Alcohol issue - this has very little to do with the Constitution.

DaRiv18, feel free to answer if you wish, but you don't have to. *Please* don't get into a quarrel over this - not here.

But I personally don't understand what's wrong with bringing a single beer to take on Amtrak if Amtrak doesn't mind (I'm willing to learn, though).]

[Ericandblueboy]

My understanding of constitutional law is as poor as Trump's but I feel my right to pursue liberty and happiness is being trampled.  Where is ACLU when I need them?

[zgast]

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

 

But I personally don't understand what's wrong with bringing a single beer to take on Amtrak if Amtrak doesn't mind (I'm willing to learn, though).]

Especially when faced with the god awful wine they serve on the train.

[ktmoomau]

You all just need to take lessons from the soccer moms and DINK girls I go out with- Swell/Yeti/Travel Coffee Mugs are quite popular items for one to own.  

[DaRiv18]

On 7/27/2017 at 11:20 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

How is denying poor people the right to buy 1 beer constitutional?

I think this is a perfectly legitimate question.  Well, for many other articles of commerce, it would be very likely unconstitutional.  But when America passed the 21st Amendment (to the Constitution) repealing Prohibition, there was concern that already dry jurisdictions would be forced to tolerate alcohol traffic.  So under the 21st Amendment, states and local governments get to make the call on how alcoholic beverages may be regulated.  I come from a state where there are no retail alcohol sales on Sunday.  So, generally, how alcohol is regulated is largely outside of the scope of the federal constitution.  

Regarding poor people, that just sucks and when I see this type of legislation, it smacks of white privilege to me.   I think the Constitution would protect poor people if there was a showing that a government was discriminating against a protected class when it came to marketing alcoholic beverages, without a countervailing legitimate interest.  On the flip side, having lived on the same block as an establishment that has a heavy traffic of single serves, the alleys literally smell like piss and there are poor people passing out in the streets.  I would rather not have public drunkenness, nor would I have easy loopholes for people of better means to get one beer.