NY liquor stores prepare for battle with supermarkets over non-alcoholic booze

Published

12 months ago

May 6, 2024

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New York wine and liquor stores are struggling as their customers dry out from the boozy days of the pandemic — and a pair of state lawmakers has concocted a potentially controversial remedy for the hangover.

At the start of the year, New York state Sen. Michelle Hinchey quietly introduced a bill to allow wine and liquor stores and their distributors to sell non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic beverages — a comparatively small but fast-growing niche that some liquor store owners say could help prop up stalled sales.

While US sales of alcoholic beverages edged 0.8% higher to $105 billion during the past 12 months, sales of non-alcoholic booze soared 34% to $620.4 million during the same timeframe, according to NielsenIQ.

“Its incredibly important to us to support our liquor stores,” Hinchey told The Post. “They are family owned, local small businesses that are on our main streets and this could be a new revenue stream for them.”

The Empire State is one of just 17 states that don’t allow wine and liquor stores to sell non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits. But it’s also one of just 10 states that don’t allow grocery stores to sell wine and liquor — a law that has been in place since the Prohibition era, and which New York liquor stores have defended vigorously.

That’s despite lobbying by supermarkets, which are only allowed to sell beer in New York. Last year, grocers pushed a bill that failed to advance.

Accordingly, insiders say Hinchey’s legislation — which has a companion bill from state Assemblyman Al Stirpe — is sure to face fierce opposition from grocers and convenience stores, which currently are the only legal distributors of non-alcoholic wines, spirits and mocktails. There are also a handful of specialty stores that just sell booze-free beverages.

So far, there’s been no negative feedback or opposition to the proposals, according to Hinchey.

“There hasn’t been a big push yet,” she said. “It’s a new bill.”

But Nelson Eusebio, who heads up government relations for the National Supermarket Association, which represents 600 independent stores in the city, said he hadn’t been aware of the bill before he was contacted about it by a Post reporter — and added that he’s skeptical.

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Its a fair trade provided that we get to sell the wine, Eusebio said. We would block their bill if they dont allow us to get wine. They keep making a scene about us selling wine, so why would we give them even potato chips?”

Liquor store owners argue that their businesses are the natural destination for non-alcoholic booze drinks.

People dont walk into a grocery store looking for gin, said Michael Correra, a Brooklyn liquor store owner who is executive director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association.

Ed Carino, co-owner of ProofnoMore — a three-year-old retailer and wholesaler of alcohol-free booze — agreed, noting that “consumers don’t know to look for a non-alcoholic rum in a supermarket.”

The dustup is taking shape as liquor manufacturers have lately revealed disappointing US sales. Brown Foreman, the distiller of Jack Daniels, said in March that the operating environment continues to be challenging following two years of double-digit organic net sales growth.” The company warned that it expects its sales to be flat this year.

Diageo owner of Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff said North American sales dropped 2% during the six months ended in December. Consumers are being more conscious about their health and have less discretionary spending power, Diageo executives said during an earnings call.

In New York, retailers claim liquor store sales are even worse. Members of the Albany-based Metropolitan Package Store Association, which represents 3,500 liquor stores, say their revenues are off by at least 10% — with many experiencing even steeper declines.

2023 was a difficult year for us, Daniel Posner, owner of Grapes the Wine Company of White Plains, told The Post. Most retailers sales were off anywhere from 15% to 35%.

“Consumers are not purchasing as much alcohol for at-home consumption,” noted Kaleigh Theriault, NielsonIQs director of beverage alcohol thought leadership.

Younger consumers are far less into alcohol than previous generations, according to a Gallup poll last year. The number of adults under the age of 35 who drink alcohol has fallen to 62% — down from 72% a decade ago.

Experts say demand for non-alcoholic wines, spirits and mocktails is likewise exploding in a trend that coincides with a rise in marijuana use and a new focus on health and wellness.

“There is more reporting about the harms of alcohol [while at the same time] cannabis is displacing drinking and being heavily marketed as being healthier than alcohol,” Erica Deucy, founder and podcast host of The Business of Drinks.

“I think the legalization of marijuana is taking business away,” Correra added. “And Ozempic is an issue for us because people are not drinking when they are taking those drugs.”

Meanwhile, specialty retailers like Spirited Away, which opened the first non-alcoholic store in the Big Apple in 2019 is steadily growing, with Dry January 2024 being its best month ever, co-owner Alex Highsmith told The Post.

Spirited Away offers some 300 products — including a $13 Phony Negroni, a bottle of Spiritless Kentucky 74 for $23 and Monday Gin for $40 a pop. There are about 30 such stores nationwide, including seven in New York City.

The booze-free options appeal not only to teetotalers but to those engaging in flex drinking — the practice of switching between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks — “to last a little longer when they go out, Highsmith said.

When Carino first pitched local bars and retailers many were skeptical. One restaurant-grocery owner upstate turned him down, telling him, We dont get a lot of people in recovery or pregnant women in our market, Carino said.

Now that retailer is a regular, as is the posh Manhattan eatery Gramercy Tavern, whose sommelier is well-versed in mocktails, according to Carino.

Nevertheless, New York wine stores and their distributors acknowledge that food retailers will be the major hurdle for non-alcoholic booze finding its way to their shelves.

The biggest opponents to this would be the grocery industry, said David Waldenberg, head of the New York Alliance of Fine Wine Wholesalers and president of BNP Distributing Co.

UK

Fourteen children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over Gateshead fire released on bail

Published

13 mins ago

May 5, 2025

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Fourteen children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over Gateshead fire released on bail

All 14 children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a boy died in a fire have been released on police bail, officers said.

Layton Carr, 14, was found dead near the site of a fire at Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area of Gateshead on Friday.

Northumbria Police said on Saturday that they had arrested 11 boys and three girls in connection with the incident.

In an update on Sunday, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “All those arrested have since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.”

Firefighters raced to the industrial site shortly after 8pm on Friday, putting out the blaze a short time later.

Police then issued an appeal for Carr, who was believed to be in the area at that time.

In a statement on Saturday, the force said that “sadly, following searches, a body believed to be that of 14-year-old Layton Carr was located deceased inside the building”.

David Thompson, headteacher of Hebburn Comprehensive School, where Layton was a pupil, said the school community was “heartbroken”.

Mr Thompson described him as a “valued and much-loved member of Year 9” and said he would be “greatly missed by everyone”.

He added that the school’s “sincere condolences” were with Layton’s family and that the community would “rally together to support one another through this tragedy”.

A fundraising page on GoFundMe has been set up to help Layton’s mother pay for funeral costs.

Organiser Stephanie Simpson said: “The last thing Georgia needs to stress trying to pay for a funeral for her Boy Any donations will help thank you.”

One tribute in a Facebook post read: “Can’t believe I’m writing this my nephew RIP Layton 💔 forever 14 you’ll be a massive miss, thinking of my sister and 2 beautiful nieces right now.”

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, also said: “This is an extremely tragic incident where a boy has sadly lost his life.”

She added that the force’s “thoughts are with Layton’s family as they begin to attempt to process the loss of their loved one”.

They are working to establish “the full circumstances surrounding the incident” and officers will be in the area to “offer reassurance to the public”, she added.

A cordon remains in place at the site while police carry out enquiries.

UK

Football bodies could be forced to pay towards brain injury care costs of ex-players

Published

13 mins ago

May 5, 2025

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Football bodies could be forced to pay towards brain injury care costs of ex-players

Football bodies could be forced to pay towards the care costs of ex-players who have been diagnosed with brain conditions, under proposals set to be considered by MPs.

Campaigners are drafting amendments to the Football Governance Bill, which would treat conditions caused by heading balls as an “industrial injuries issue”.

The proposals seek to require the football industry to provide the necessary financial support.

Campaigners say existing support is not fit for purpose, including the Brain Health Fund which was set up with an initial £1m by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), supported by the Premier League.

But the Premier League said the fund has supported 121 families with at-home adaptations and care home fees.

From England‘s 1966 World Cup-winning team, both Jack and Bobby Charlton died with dementia, as did Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles.

Ex-players, including former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock, went to parliament last week to lobby MPs.

Ruddock told Sky News he had joined campaigners “for the families who’ve gone through hell”.

“A professional footballer, greatest job in the world, but no one knew the dangers, and that’s scary,” he said.

“Every time someone heads a ball it’s got to be dangerous to you. You know, I used to head 100 balls a day in training. I didn’t realise that might affect my future.”

A study co-funded by the PFA and the Football Association (FA) in 2019 found footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of a neurodegenerative disease than members of the public of the same age.

‘In denial’

Among those calling on football authorities to contribute towards the care costs of ex-players who have gone on to develop conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia is Labour MP Chris Evans.

Mr Evans, who represents Caerphilly in South Wales, hopes to amend the Bill to establish a care and financial support scheme for ex-footballers and told a recent event in parliament that affected ex-players “deserve to be compensated”.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who helped to draft the amendment, said the game was “in denial about the whole thing”.

Mr Burnham called for it to be seen as “an industrial injuries issue in the same way with mining”.

In January, David Beckham lent his support to calls for greater support for footballers affected by dementia.

One of the amendments says that “the industry rather than the public should bear the financial burden”.

A spokesperson for the FA said it was taking a “leading role in reviewing and improving the safety of our game” and that it had “already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors”.

An English Football League spokesperson said it was “working closely with other football bodies” to ensure both professional and grassroots football are “as safe as it can be”.

The PFA and Premier League declined to comment.

UK

Terror arrests came in context of raised warnings about Iran, with ongoing chaos in its own backyard

Published

13 mins ago

May 5, 2025

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Terror arrests came in context of raised warnings about Iran, with ongoing chaos in its own backyard

These are two separate and unrelated investigations by counter-terror officers.

But the common thread is nationality – seven out of the eight people arrested are Iranian.

And that comes in the context of increased warnings from government and the security services about Iranian activity on British soil.

Last year, the director general of MI5, Ken McCallum, said his organisation and police had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents since January 2022.

He linked that increase to the ongoing situation in Iran’s own backyard.

“As events unfold in the Middle East, we will give our fullest attention to the risk of an increase in – or a broadening of – Iranian state aggression in the UK,” he said.

The implication is that even as Iran grapples with a rapidly changing situation in its own region, having seen its proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, decimated and itself coming under Israeli attack, it may seek avenues further abroad.

The government reiterated this warning only a few weeks ago, with security minister Dan Jarvis addressing parliament.

“The threat from Iran sits in a wider context of the growing, diversifying and evolving threat that the UK faces from malign activity by a number of states,” Jarvis said.

“The threat from states has become increasingly interconnected in nature, blurring the lines between: domestic and international; online and offline; and states and their proxies.

“Turning specifically to Iran, the regime has become increasingly emboldened, asserting itself more aggressively to advance their objectives and undermine ours.”

As part of that address, Jarvis highlighted the National Security Act 2023, which “criminalises assisting a foreign intelligence service”, among other things.

So it was notable that this was the act used in one of this weekend’s investigations.

The suspects were detained under section 27 of the same act, which allows police to arrest those suspected of being “involved in foreign power threat activity”.

Those powers are apparently being put to use.