Labor Unrest

With Liquor Strike on, Who Will Pass the Courvoisier?

The labor strife that Steve Lewis foresaw came to fruition today. The outgoing message at Empire Merchants, one of the area’s larger liquor distributors, says, “Due to a union strike, we are working on a modified basis and are unable to take orders at this time.” An employee at another top distributor, Southern Wine & Spirits, refused to tell us whether it had been affected by the strike (which seems to involve sales reps as well as truckers), but a source says that it’s “industry-wide.” Not only might this affect supply at your local pub, but — listen up, socialities — it may also put a damper on the season’s open bars. We’ll wait to see how this develops.

With Liquor Strike on, Who Will Pass the Courvoisier?