WASHINGTON — New Year’s Eve is a night to sip champagne or sparkling wine, but some Montgomery County restaurants and wine retailers complain that the county’s Liquor Control Board — which distributes all beer, wine and spirits in the county — failed to have adequate supplies in its warehouse.
“It’s frustrating,” said Justin McInerny, who owns Capital Beer and Wine in Bethesda. “If we’re going to have this monopoly, we ought to be able to count on delivery.”
McInerny said that earlier this week county was unable to deliver popular national brands of some champagne and sparkling wines because of shortages at its warehouse. He was able to get what he needed, but only by picking up supply at county-run liquor stores.
It’s not the first time the Liquor Control Board has had problems supplying private retailers and restaurants. Last holiday season, Montgomery County restaurants complained that they weren’t being provided the wines they needed.
“The Department of Liquor Control is supposed to have these nationally-placed products at our disposal,” McInerny said.
The county agency blames suppliers for the shortages.
But retailers say it’s the county agency’s fault for failing to properly manage the supply chain and not ordering enough product for the warehouse.
“They keep failing over and over again, and they don’t listen to business people,” said one wine merchant who asked not be named.
