Just after midnight I had the honor of being the first customer to buy a bottle of liquor at Wine World & Spirits on 45th St. right off of I-5.
(A fifth of Woodford Reserve Bourbon)
Wine World has an impressive selection on the shelves already and they told the P-I they plan to stock 2,000 spirits including every spirit distilled in Washington state. When I was introduced to a group as initiator of I-1100, one of the new managers showed his state liquor store employee pin and said with a grin "thanks for getting me a new job".
Congratulations and good luck to all the new entrepreneurs in the business.
UPDATE: It sounds like Metropolitan Market's first customer beat me to it.
Postscript: I for years enjoyed a drop or two of Baileys Irish Cream in my coffee. Under the Queen's reign the price almost doubled within 5-6 years. So I quit it and switched to Bailey's non-alcoholic products and have now lost the taste for the alcohol version. I have no doubt prices will fall dramatically once the free market settles itself.
Posted by: Saltherring on June 1, 2012 07:04 AMYes Marcus,
Democrats have raided much of the state coffers for years for all manner of useless programs and other profligate spending. This abuse has now necessitated that WA government treat her citizens like criminals extracting all manner of fines, taxes, fees and other collections to try and feed her voracious appetite for benefit promises made in exchange for Democrat votes.
In addition, WA has begun predatory behavior towards her citizens such as red light cameras, much stricter and electronically coordinated parking patrols, Google Earth comparisons of properties year to year in search of new construction that can be use to extract punitive fees in addition to permit fees.
If you want to lower the fees at checkout, then urge everyone you know to stop voting Democrat. And urge everyone you know to push for Public Employee Union reform and dissolution.
WI now has a handle on their spending, and this can be accomplished in WA too if we remove the wasteful pension promises that never should have been made in the first place.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 1, 2012 02:53 PMLiquor sticker shock stirs up Washington state drinkers
Washington state has extricated itself from decades in the liquor business, a move that is likely to give drinkers a headache when they reach for bottled spirits on local store shelves.
The bad news for customers is that on average, per-bottle prices on liquor could rise between 10 percent and 30 percent, retailers say. The initiative imposed a new fee structure that raises those costs by 27 percent, which will likely be passed on to consumers, said Brian Smith, spokesman for the Washington State Liquor Control Board.
Already, liquor industry insiders are blaming wholesale distributors - two of which control about 80 percent of the state's liquor products - for the bulk of the price hikes. "What restaurants and retailers suspect ... is that distributors are padding their wholesale margin in order to recoup" the license fees they pay, said Joel Benoliel, a spokesman for retail giant Costco. "There's price-gouging going on," said Bruce Beckett, a Washington Restaurant Association spokesman. Smith said retailers and wholesalers alike were passing on their license fees. "So what you have is distributors marking up the product (for profit) and adding 10 percent, then retailers marking up the product (for profit) and adding a 17-percent fee," he said.
And who are these 2 companies which control 80% of the market in Washington State?
Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.
Young's Market Company, LLC
The statists are looking at the increased prices initially as some kind of moral victory. Think again. Once competition on both the retail and distribution level arrive, prices will drop. Check back in two years.
Posted by: Palouse on June 3, 2012 03:22 PMAs soon as the hoopla dies down market forces go to work.
Of course, our lefty pets want to criticize and condemn TWO DAYS in.
I wonder who amongst them has bought liquor in the last 2 days... not that they'd be honest enough to admit it.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on June 3, 2012 04:37 PMI did make a thankyou, the best way I know how, by making a purchase.
I told as many employees as I could that I really appreciated it, and that I'd sign a petition comparable to the car tab roll back one a few years back.
The idea of still paying for a bloated system that doesn't really exist anymore is terrible.
Baby steps, I suppose. Some of the Costco employees think that the company legal minds are taking the idea of specific performance or some such and running with it.
It's early yet, but the selection at my store was spotty.
Posted by: scott158 on June 3, 2012 05:23 PMAt least this should put the lie to the hysterical claims of the anti-1183 crowd that the teen drinking apocalypse will now be upon us. Teens drink cheap stuff.
Posted by: RookieRick on June 3, 2012 06:33 PMI like being able to buy at 8am or 10pm, but the price is to much now. I suppose this will balance in the future as market forces come into play, but i still do not know why oru state needs to charge 27% tax. They have enough money already....just spend it wisely.
Posted by: Dengle on June 3, 2012 10:56 PMTHREE WHOLE DAYS into it.
Give us a break from your nonsense misdirection and your manufactured outrage.
Bookmark this link and comeback in 6 months, a year.
Fools.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on June 4, 2012 12:20 PMCompetition is going to settle prices, but it takes time for it to happen. Reactionaries are predictably passing judgment already. I have no issue pay a slightly higher price for now for the convenience of buying liquor when and where I want it.
Posted by: Palouse on June 4, 2012 12:57 PMActually the taxes were set by the initiative that you (presumably) and I voted for. Blame Costco and us voters if you're unhappy.
Meanwhile I wish you good luck finding places to shop where the government doesn't impose taxes or enforce traffic laws but can afford to provide free parking.
Posted by: Bruce on June 4, 2012 06:57 PMMy purchase at the local department store was only 74 cents higher than my WSLCB purchase a few months ago. With the per liter tax and the 20.5% sales tax, the government added 53.5% more to the retail price, it's about the same as what the state charged before.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on June 5, 2012 07:34 AMwww.morewines.com
Click on Spirits, search for your favorite hard liquor and SCREW this state.
Cheaper even with shipping, and here in 2 days
I love the internet, it solves idiot politician's greedy fists