Draconian Liquor Laws and Outrageous Prices

[RP Owens]

I don't know about the rest of you but where I come from, the laws surrounding the sale and acquisition of liquor are positively draconian. Likewise, the cost of liquor (thanks to the highway-robbery-level taxation of all sales of liquor) is through the bloody roof. It makes it so costly to drink that a man can scarcely get truly rat-assed twice a week without going insolvent. I'm in New Brunswick, Canada where all liquor, wine and beer must be purchased through the provincial government's NB Liquor Corporation (a Crown Corporation). They have created a monopoly of liquor sale and so are able to keep the price of alcohol artificially high. What's more, they put shocking taxes on all liquor sales at bars, pubs and clubs which also have to pay outrageous fees to get a license to allow them to purvey the substance of life.

I don't know what I'm trying to achieve here with this -- mostly just ranting -- but blimey if it doesn't make my blood boil. The sale of liquor should be private and opened up to the greater market. Keep the cost of alcohol down so that a man can find some relief from all the other headaches government has caused us. And stop making a night out so damned expensive by taxing alcohol to oblivion!

[RP Owens]

And ditto that for tobacco.

[oettinger]

In mother russia they distill it themselfes because of just that. The "official" goverment stuff to be had in stores is downright chemical warfare. Beer is a deadly cocktail of paint thinner and hot tar. Russian buddy also told me about their nasty cigs, basically a melting gravil pit of bimstone

[RP Owens]

Funny how true to life 1984 was then. We get the [s]good[/s] passable stuff in our stores but to get you're forking over $50-110 for 750 ml. It's just a shame.

[oettinger]

It`s called 2014 now and is even worse because more subtle. Time to get shitfaced!

[RP Owens]

Sounds like it. I'm enjoying a tawny port tonight. What about you?

[oettinger]

cheap german beer and marys as mostly always.

[RP Owens]

Gut! Is it a Weissbier? I love a good Weissbier.

[oettinger]

Hate that shit, can`t stand anything coming outta that shithole bavaria as a whole.
Pilisner it is. Czech it is not, but akin to it

[RP Owens]

Bavarian Cream?! That shit makes any donut better.

[oettinger]

Never talked about cream pies per se, but that`s why google pic search was invented

[booznik]

NB... I've been there. The land of stop signs that say Arret and Stop on them. And fun signs like Fin de Construction Ends.

Compared to here, the prices at NBL are a bit on the highway robbery side, but if it's any consolation, the selection in some of the US control states is even worse. Compared to some places, you do have one thing going for you, which is the agency stores. Find one of those and you can buy booze any day of the year. In some places they aren't so lucky.

Certainly doesn't take away the sting that the NB government is perpetually cash-strapped, and thus unlikely to give up their monopoly any time soon.

In conclusion, G-Atlantic.

The days when $1/L was actually high.

[RP Owens]

NB... I've been there. The land of stop signs that say Arret and Stop on them. And fun signs like Fin de Construction Ends.

Compared to here, the prices at NBL are a bit on the highway robbery side, but if it's any consolation, the selection in some of the US control states is even worse. Compared to some places, you do have one thing going for you, which is the agency stores. Find one of those and you can buy booze any day of the year. In some places they aren't so lucky.

Certainly doesn't take away the sting that the NB government is perpetually cash-strapped, and thus unlikely to give up their monopoly any time soon.

In conclusion, G-Atlantic.

The days when $1/L was actually high.

Yes, we are likely to endure much more. I'm going to New Hampshire. Fuck it.

[booznik]

...Yes, we are likely to endure much more. I'm going to New Hampshire. Fuck it.

They're #9

Choose better destination. That is all.

[Badfellow]

My experiences with purchasing alcohol in Ontario have been likewise draconian and horrendous, so much to the point that I will bring in far more booze than I'm supposed to from the Minnesota side. And I'm not even talking about being robbed by the shithead bars in Toronto. We did have to stop in at Thunder Bay once to repair damage done to our supplies on the 8 hour ride up in the back of the RV (there's an excuse to get drunk if there ever was one). Molson or some such unhappy shit like that. I was the smart one who brought a case of Moskovskaya handles with from loon land. The poor bastards were begging me by the end of the week. State liquor monolopies are truly the purest form of evil on the planet next to NAMBLA, #2 feed corn and Dick Cheney. Nova Scotia boozing was fairly damn expensive too, but great fun out at the bars.

They should be careful not to repress the population too much, lest the proles rise up and march on Parliament Hill. If there is a future, it is with the proles.

Yes, same goes for tobacco. I was told that Export A were the "good" cigarettes. What a pity. Owens, you'd better have one of us send you some fine Virginia cavendish pipe tobacco. And a bottle of bourbon while we're at it. Act of mercy, you understand.