Total Wine opens in Friendship Heights (Photos)

Total Wine has opened at 5401 44th Street NW in the Friendship Heights area of Chevy Chase, D.C. The beer, wine, and spirits superstore is located in the basement of what's left of poor Mazza Gallerie. There is a coupon online to receive $10-off a purchase of $50 or more, in celebration of the opening. It's a mighty strong shot down the hatch to realize that Total Wine is headquartered in Montgomery County, but cannot open a store in Montgomery County due to the County monopoly control of liquor sales. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Wine and spirits tastings at Westbard Square in Bethesda this week

Oak Barrel & Vine at 5390 Westbard Avenue at the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda has several wine and spirits tastings scheduled for this final week of February 2025. The tasting schedule is as follows: 

2/27: White Haven Sauvignon Blanc - Wine Tasting | 4–6pm

2/28: Fallen Oaks Spirits - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

2/28: Wisher Vodka - Spirits Tasting | 4–7pm

Oak Barrel & Vine opens at Westbard Square in Bethesda

Oak Barrel & Vine has opened at Westbard Square in Bethesda. It is taking the place of the Montgomery County Liquor & Wine store, which was demolished along with the Westwood Shopping Center on this site. Oak Barrel & Vine is the same business, and is still operated by the Montgomery County government, which holds a monopoly on liquor sales in the county. However, the rebranding and store aesthetic are designed to better resemble the types of more-upscale, privately-owned shops one finds elsewhere in the country. Operating hours for the store are Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Sneak peek: Oak Barrel & Vine at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

Oak Barrel & Vine appears close to opening at Westbard Square in Bethesda. Shelf stocking is proceeding at a rapid pace inside the store, which will replace the Montgomery County Liquor & Wine store that was demolished along with the Westwood Shopping Center on this site. Oak Barrel & Vine is the same business, and is still operated by the Montgomery County government, which holds a monopoly on liquor sales in the county. However, the rebranding and store aesthetic are designed to better resemble the types of more-upscale, privately-owned shops one finds elsewhere in the country. Whether this makes one feel better about local government controlling all liquor sales or not, the new stores rolling out countywide do have a more pleasing environment than its existing, generic retail locations do.

One of the key additions can already be seen here, where a tasting room is part of the new design. A row of taps is now visible inside. Local products are featured and labeled prominently, and imports are often stocked under the flag of the exporting country, such as Canada and Ireland.

This OB&V is also the first of the concept stores where the construction was led by an all-female team.  HBW Construction's interior fit-out here has been directed by Senior Project Manager Alexandra Dramby, Superintendent Jess Hipp, and Project Coordinator Cynthia Aparicio. HBW utilized unique finishes for the Westbard store, including brick, fabric, and barn doors. Each OB&V location is intended to differ from the others, rather than follow a cookie-cutter design. Stay tuned for an opening date!

MD Retailers Association revives effort to allow beer, wine sales in Maryland grocery stores

MRA poster inside Harris Teeter

One of the biggest shocks to the system many new residents of Montgomery County experience, is the moment they learn they cannot purchase beer or wine at their local grocery store or convenience store. They quickly become familiar with Montgomery County's government monopoly on alcohol sales, and the archaic liquor laws of MoCo and Maryland. Restaurateurs and retailers frustrated with the status quo that reduces the profit margins of their businesses - and puts them at a disadvantage when competing against their rivals in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia - made a push to change these laws in the last decade. The effort ran out of steam when no significant media campaign or financial contributions were employed to directly boost the candidates for office who would vote to overturn the Prohibition-style system.

Now the Maryland Retailers Association is reviving the campaign with a new website, and posters such as the one seen above this week in County supermarkets. There is a lot of information and data on the website. It has an easy way to contact your elected officials to encourage them to modernize our liquor laws. Whether the effort will be any more successful than the last remains to be seen.

If the MRA and business owners don't write fat checks to the candidates who will vote to change the laws, and won't publicly endorse those candidates and send glossy mailers with a list of their names to every voter, the campaign will fail again. Most of the articles linked to on the website are from media outlets who strongly support the incumbents and candidates who favor and will preserve the ossified government liquor monopoly we have now. That's not exactly a smart way to propagandize the public in favor of liquor reform, folks.

Former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich was prophetic about many things. He was savagely pilloried by local officials and the media during his time in office for supporting casinos and bus rapid transit. Both later became policy cornerstones of the Montgomery County and Maryland political machines of his most-venomous opponents. One other thing he used to say that has aged very well: Until business owners "get dangerous," and actually back candidates - Democratic, Republican, Green, independent - who will vote their way, nothing will change. The MRA has a nice website. But their campaign doesn't sound very "dangerous" yet.

Two southwest Bethesda liquor stores, gas station burglarized in 65 minutes

Three businesses in southwest Bethesda were burglarized in just over an hour early yesterday morning. The Montgomery County liquor store at the Westwood Shopping Center was broken into at 2:17 AM. Twenty-seven minutes later, Bethesda Market Beer Wine & Deli was burglarized. At 3:22 AM, the Exxon at 6100 MacArthur Boulevard was hit. Montgomery County police found evidence of forced entry at all three businesses, which are in close proximity to each other near the D.C.-Maryland border.

Montgomery County government liquor stores stop selling Russian vodka

The Montgomery County government monopoly liquor stores have stopped selling Russian-made spirits, the County announced in a press release on Sunday. Since the County is the only entity that can sell liquor in the jurisdiction, it is an effective ban on the sale of all imported Russian liquor products in Montgomery County "until further notice." The County statement indicated the move was "[i]n solidarity with the people of Ukraine." It is only one of many jurisdictions around the country attempting to boycott Russian products following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Shortly after the ban was issued, individual Montgomery County establishments began announcing they were dropping Russian vodka from their cocktail menus. Montgomery County-operated liquor stores will continue to sell alternative vodka brands such as Smirnoff (manufactured in Illinois, despite the name), Ciroc, Tito's, Absolut, Svedka, Grey Goose, SKYY, Ketel One, and New Amsterdam, the County press release said.

Photo courtesy Russian Standard Vodka

CherCher Ethiopian Cuisine to defend its liquor license after violations at Bethesda restaurant

It's been a bumpy ride for Ethiopian restaurants in Bethesda. Two of the three have closed. The last remaining, CherCher Ethiopian Cuisine now faces a critical test, and could lose a significant amount of revenue if they lose.

Montgomery County's liquor control board is summoning the owners to their September 3, 2020 meeting to explain why the board should not revoke the restaurant's liquor license, or impose fines or other penalties. The board alleges violations of liquor laws have occurred at CherCher, sufficient to fine the business, or take away their license altogether.

CherCher is located at 4921 Bethesda Avenue. They have another location in the District at 9th Street NW.

Montgomery County liquor store reopens on Hampden Lane in Bethesda

The Montgomery County government liquor store in downtown Bethesda that closed after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus on March 25 has reopened this morning. Montgomery County Liquor & Wine at 4920 Hampden Lane has been "thoroughly cleaned," according to the County liquor department. In fact, they say, every single product, shelf and surface in the store has been disinfected. Can we expect a run on the place today?

Despite fake news headlines, you won't be buying liquor at grocery, drug or convenience stores in MoCo

You may have seen fake news headlines over the last few days trumpeting that "liquor" will soon be sold at "privately-owned stores" in Montgomery County. The careful wording was designed by the Montgomery County political cartel, to give casual readers the false impression that beer, wine and spirits would be coming to the shelves at Giant, CVS, 7-Eleven, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it was surprising that many in the local media enabled the deception with false headlines. This is one of the more audacious public misinformation campaigns I've ever witnessed from the MoCo cartel.

Here are the facts:

The Maryland General Assembly just passed a bill which will only allow privately-owned beer and wine stores to sell liquor. Clever language in the bill specifically excludes grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores. Even popular convenience stores that currently sell beer and wine, like Talbert's in Bethesda, will be ineligible to sell liquor.

Even those beer and wine stores that qualify to sell liquor under the bill will still have to buy that liquor from the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control - the government monopoly. That means they will be competing on retail price directly with the Montgomery County government liquor stores. Merchants like Bradley Food and Beverage have pointed out in the past that such competition is unfair to the small private businesses being forced to compete with the same government-monopoly seller, who sets the prices they have to pay for stock.

The new law allows the DLC to decide the criteria for the granting of contracts with private beer and wine stores by itself, with no public input or transparency. DLC, in other words, can decide the terms of competition itself. Profits for whichever few retailers DLC decides to "compete" with will likely be limited by the monopoly control over price, and that means no savings for you, the customer.

It's also unlikely that private beer and wine stores could be competitive with County-owned liquor stores on inventory, because the County stores are physically larger than stores which have been only allowed to sell beer and wine. And they'll still have to deal with the same DLC inventory and delivery problems that have hampered their existing beer and wine sales.

Once again, County politicians have tried to "look busy," even as they bolster and preserve the government liquor monopoly. Real change would be full privatization of beer, wine and spirit sales in Montgomery County, and being able to buy Bud Light or a bottle of wine at Safeway or Rite Aid. That did not happen with this new law.

Fact check score for fake news "liquor to be sold at privately-owned stores" headlines, designed to fool people who don't read the articles for the details?

Four Pinocchios/Pants on Fire

Talbert's objects to Bethesda 7-Eleven store obtaining liquor license

The 7-Eleven store at 7305 MacArthur Boulevard was granted a Class A beer-and-wine liquor license by the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control in March. At the DLC hearing, Talbert's Ice and Beverage - which also sells beer and wine at 5234 River Road in Bethesda - objected to the granting of the license.

Under the rules, that gave Talbert's standing to file for judicial review of the decision in Montgomery County Circuit Court, said Associate County Attorney Kathryn Lloyd. That review took place on November 2, Lloyd said. The judge reversed the DLC decision, and has remanded the matter back to the DLC. It will now hold a future hearing to consider the license for 7-Eleven again, and take additional evidence. Lloyd is representing the Board of License Commissioners in this case.

The 7-Eleven store has posted a petition (pictured above - please click to enlarge for detail) for customers to sign in support of their beer-and-wine license.

In other liquor news, County Executive Ike Leggett yesterday doubled down on the county government's archaic liquor monopoly, proposing creation of a liquor authority instead of privatization. Such an authority would also raise troubling questions of the sort that surfaced during Leggett's push for a similar entity to fund bus rapid transit.

Photo: Rob Jenson

To see impact on Bethesda of MoCo's failed nighttime economy initiative, look down under

County Councilmember
Hans Riemer, architect
of the County's failed
"nighttime economy" plan

When nightlife declines in an urban area, the impact can be felt far and wide. While downtown Bethesda is in no danger of economic collapse by any means, the effect of Montgomery County's failed "nighttime economy" initiative can be most immediately seen by the newly-darkened streets, and the few people found walking along them, as the hours grow closer to midnight.

Since Councilmember Hans Riemer (D - At-large) took office in 2010, and announced himself as the self-styled savior of the "nighttime economy," he got a lot of friendly press. But few results.

Over that time, Riemer also voted for numerous bills that raised the cost of doing business, and lowered already-thin profit margins, for restaurants and bars. And he flip-flopped and ended up defending the County's antiquated government monopoly on liquor, the bane of most Bethesda restaurateurs' existence.

Nine nightspots have shuttered since then, a 24-hour restaurant has closed, CVS eliminated overnight pharmacy hours at its Arlington Road location, and other businesses like Barnes & Noble have adopted earlier closing times.

Even the types of activity the initiative changed County and state laws to encourage have foundered. A planned brewery for downtown Bethesda is struggling to raise capital. Few bars countywide have taken advantage of the new 3:00 AM closing time, and in Bethesda, the lack of potential patrons makes an extra hour unprofitable.

In short, what a disaster. Riemer touted his initiative as a reason to re-elect him in 2014, but the Washington Post editorial board ended up withdrawing its endorsement of him over his results-free record.

Sydney, Australia is going through a similar tough stretch. Ironically, its problems began because government there tried to crack down on nightlife and alcohol consumption. Two different approaches (although it should be noted that Sydney also has a 3:00 AM closing time) on two sides of the world, but the impact is the same.

USA Today reported last month that Sydney's nightlife collapse turned that "once-vibrant city into a cultural desert and [made] the city unattractive to tourists," and that there is "increasing anger" over the resulting economic downturn. The impact on tourism is notable, as several Bethesda-area hotel projects remain stalled since the nighttime economy fiasco began.

Consider this - a large city like Sydney is complaining about 12 bars having closed, while a tiny town like Bethesda has suffered 9 closures, as I mentioned above. Relative to size, therefore, Bethesda has been hit even harder than Sydney.

Reporter Lauren Williams found concert ticket sales declined 40% since Sydney's nighttime depression began, and she quoted a music producer as saying the downturn is "destroying the cultural fabric and economy of the city. There's a complex tapestry of people whose livelihoods are impacted on the closing of late night venues."

Daisy Johnson, a young professional, told the newspaper she "wanted to live in an area with a vibrant night life and a bit of character, but there is nowhere to go anymore."

Fact-checking MoCo councilman's grandstanding on liquor "changes"

Riemer still mum on

whether he knew of

illegal activity in

County liquor dept.

prior to Election Day

There he goes again. Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer, out of the news all summer and desperate for some press coverage, is grandstanding about his self-promoting campaign to change the County's role in controlling liquor sales and distribution.

Except...his equally-self-promoting "Ad Hoc Committee on Liquor Control" has left the county government squarely in control of liquor. Oops.

How do you like them hard apple ciders?

Remember, according to News4 (and we'll be getting back to the topic of News4 in a few moments):

"Council member Hans Riemer created the committee because he says the government should get out of the beer and wine business. 'We’re the only county in Maryland, and I believe we're the only local government in America, that has a monopoly on wholesale.'"

Well, much like Riemer's failed Nighttime Economy Initiative, the liquor committee has utterly failed to execute that stated mission.

All they've been able to do is pass a resolution that will set up legislation in Annapolis to allow the county to privatize special orders. Even with this so-called "significant change," the County Department of Liquor Control would retain the power to designate a "special order" item as a general stock item, putting that product back under total government distribution control again. To quote directly from the resolution, "The classification of special order items will be the final responsibility of the County Department of Liquor Control."

Are Maker's Mark and Grey Goose "special order" items? They're the Budweiser and Miller Lite of spirits. They were also unavailable for weeks at a time from the DLC, according to Hans Olson of Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge. Depending on how those common spirits are categorized under the new system, nothing could change at all for products bartenders depend on.

Will you now, as a grown adult, be able to buy Bud Light at CVS or Giant in Bethesda? Will you be able to grab a $9 bottle of white wine to go with that prepared salad you've picked up at Safeway?

Nope (and before a troll commenter says, "But that's because of state law!", so is Riemer's special order change, that requires exactly the same sort of change at the state level to be enacted. So why wouldn't the Ad Hoc Committee have passed a resolution regarding grocery and drug store sales as well?).

Will special order products be cheaper for restaurants and stores to order if the legislation is passed in Annapolis?

Nope. The County will have to charge a fee (a.k.a. tax) on private special-order liquor wholesalers to make up for the lost revenue. The special order resolution clearly states that the fee shall "Be set and charged by Montgomery County."

If, unlike many of our elected officials, you understand how taxes on businesses work, they are passed on directly to the consumer. So prices can only remain the same, or rise. The private liquor distributors will still profit, but you as the consumer or private retailer could end up losing money in this deal.

With all of this in mind, you might be a bit shocked to find The Washington Post touting "Major changes may be in store for Montgomery County's liquor distribution policy."

Say what?

Turning to page C4 of Sunday's Metro section, you find a self-promoting op-ed by Councilmember Riemer offering no such "major changes" whatsoever. But he does spend many paragraphs promoting himself, and an apparent alternate history in an alternate dimension, where he has apparently been an effective councilmember. Why would the Post aid him with such a friendly headline? Only they know the answer to that question. But we do know that the Post's editorial page staff withdrew their endorsement of Riemer in the 2014 election, declaring his thin record of "accomplishment" insufficient to warrant reelection by the voters.

You wouldn't know that from Riemer's piece, though. When it's not touting himself, it's making false claims that would earn him a Four Pinocchio/Pants on Fire rating from fact checkers.

The article starts by declaring that "Significant changes are in store," which - if you've just read the previous paragraphs, should warrant a chuckle at best.

Then he argues "we cannot afford to continue undermining the basic business operations and investment climate for our restaurants," despite having repeatedly done just that through multiple votes he has cast on the Council since 2011.

How about this sentence: "Many residents express an intense frustration with retail access to beer and wine. Statewide restrictions prevent grocery stores and other retailers from selling alcohol." Now that's worth much more than a chuckle. When you're finished rolling around on the floor laughing, you'll remember that, as I wrote above, the committee could be asking legislators in Annapolis to change those very "statewide restrictions" right now, if it hadn't been a failure.

Will stores like Bradley Food and Beverage and Talbert's continue to compete with the County DLC's monopoly, which enjoys multiple cost advantages over mom-and-pop shops while - unlike those shops - paying no taxes? You betcha.

But let's not burst Mr. Riemer's bubble of alternate universe whimsy: "My goal was to create a stronger local economy while making the county a more vibrant place to live. These reforms will help achieve that vision."

Is this the same "local economy" that hasn't attracted a single major corporate headquarters in over a decade? The same local economy that has been whipped in job creation every single year by Northern Virginia counties and the District?

Perhaps the biggest laugher in the piece is when Riemer states that "Montgomery County is now 'the best place in the region' to open a brewery, according to leading craft entrepreneurs." Is that why D.C. and Virginia have been killing us in the number of breweries opening for so many years?

All we are doing is slowly catching up to what competing jurisdictions are already doing. We are absolutely not the best by any means. Riemer's boast is like bragging that your small town is going to allow to businesses to open on Sundays. Golly gee willikers! Wow! Amazing! That's cutting edge! "It's amazing, because a couple of political supporters of mine who are beer aficionados said it's amazing." Sounds like a solid, objective source to me.

Leading craft entrepreneurs apparently also tell us that we didn't need the Northrop headquarters, a completed Master Plan highway system, or even food trucks, in Montgomery County.

Yes, folks, when Councilmember Hans Riemer starts acting on an issue, you'd better pray it's not the industry you're working in. There's usually nothing left but debris by the time he's finished.

Remember when Riemer got his political operative and campaign contributor a $150,000-a-year job in County Government - that you pay for? And then put him in charge of food truck policy?

And then 96% of food trucks went out of business, or ceased coming into Montgomery County? That's making MoCo "a more vibrant place to live," right? Especially since new urbanists are over the moon about how food trucks make cities a more vibrant place, and attract young professionals. Which MoCo currently isn't doing so well at, according to statistics.

Meanwhile, at lunchtime you'll find those same food trucks parked a few yards over the county line by Mazza Gallerie in the District. Whoops.

Or, how about his failed "Nighttime Economy" initiative? And how there are now actually less nightclubs in downtown Bethesda since Riemer took office and did all this "wonderful" work? And Barnes and Noble closes earlier at Bethesda Row?

It's funny to hear Riemer now talk about allowing food trucks to operate at night. They already were operating at night, until he and his operative led an effort that got rid of food trucks. In 2011, trucks like Tastefully Toasted could be found serving the crowds leaving bars (many of which are now closed) in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle.

Or, claiming MoCo will be a hub for cybersecurity, only for it to be revealed in 2014 that the county government was running on Windows 2000 - perhaps the least-secure platform in the world - four years after Riemer took office?

While friendly local media outlets continue to praise Riemer through propaganda articles, this media outlet is going to continue to ask the tough questions every time the councilmember tries to use the liquor fiasco to promote himself.

His piece did not provide any answers on what he knew about illegal activity in the County DLC, and when he knew it.

Less than 48 hours after the polls closed on Election Day 2014, the News4 I-Team aired a report alleging illegal activity was taking place inside the County DLC. The investigation was conducted over several weeks prior to Election Day, in News4's own words.

Councilmember Riemer appeared in the November 6 report, in a formal, sit-down interview, to feign outrage at this supposedly-"new" information. This wasn't a hasty press ambush, but an interview that had obviously been arranged in advance.

Here's the question the Washington Post and other local media outlets haven't asked Riemer yet:

When did he know about this illegal activity in the DLC, and did he keep it quiet until after Election Day to ensure he would be reelected? Riemer, and the other 8 councilmembers, have oversight authority over the DLC. All 9 could have been hurt politically by the scandal.

The time for propaganda and grandstanding to be replaced with real answers has long passed.

QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMING, COUNCILMAN'S ROLE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY LIQUOR SCANDAL

The shocking results of an investigation by News 4's I-Team into the Montgomery County Department have added to the growing public questioning of why the county is in the liquor business to begin with. But the timing of the revelations, and Councilmember Hans Riemer's quickness to grandstand in a later News 4 sit-down appearance, raise questions. What did he know, and when did he know it? And why did this all go public just 48 hours after Election Day?

Riemer has received tremendous publicity in local media for several years regarding changes he has suggested in county and state liquor regulations. None of those reports indicated that Riemer had received a campaign contribution from at least one liquor license attorney. Riemer's initial proposals did not address public concerns such as the inability to purchase beer and wine at grocery stores in the county, but were more related to expanding the number of people eligible to obtain liquor licenses in the county, and being able to serve liquor without food in county establishments. Now, in this latest interview, Riemer is talking about getting the county out of the business altogether. Which I would welcome. In any case, it's been known for some time that the councilman is eager to change liquor regulations.

Fast forward to immediately after the reports aired. Hans Riemer conveniently was the only county councilmember interviewed for the follow-up report. I'm sure Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich or Nancy Floreen or any other number of councilmembers would have something to say about stolen liquor, and county employees allegedly drinking and driving. But they did not appear. No details have been given so far, but the rapid TV appearance suggests that Riemer was known to the reporters prior to the day the reports aired.

So to get back to the question of, "What did they know, and when did they know it," the News 4 report says the I-Team was following the trucks for several weeks. I think what the taxpayers have a right to know is, when was it known that County DLC drivers were allegedly drinking on the job, and stealing and reselling liquor? Before Election Day, or after? When was Hans Riemer alerted to these findings by News 4 - before Election Day, or after?

If the scandal had become public prior to Election Day, it would have been damaging to Mr. Riemer, County Executive Ike Leggett, and any other council incumbent on the ballot, as each one of them has oversight authority over the DLC.

What was the timeline?

AROMA ESPRESSO BAR APPLIES FOR BEER AND WINE LICENSE

The future Bethesda location of Aroma Espresso Bar at Westfield Montgomery Mall is applying for a beer/wine liquor license from Montgomery County.

Existing Aroma locations in New York City and Florida offer beer and wine on their menus.  Alcohol offerings differentiate Aroma from competitors like Starbucks.

Aroma is scheduled to open next month, and their liquor license hearing will be in mid-December.

BETHESDA ROW CINEMA ADDING BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR TO MENU

ALCOHOL COULD

BE ON SALE

BEFORE HOLIDAYS

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema has applied for a Montgomery County license to sell beer, wine and spirits during its movies.  The movie theater's hearing is scheduled for November 15, at 9:30 AM.

Landmark's other Washington area theater, E Street Cinema, already offers alcohol at its concession stand.  Adding alcohol sales at Bethesda Row will almost certainly boost that theater's profits; as any restauranteur can tell you, most dining establishments take their biggest profits from liquor sales.

The move comes after a revamped concessions menu, including the delicious Phillips Crab Pretzel.  But the theater is referring to the new menu and adult beverage selections not as a "snack bar," but as the Bethesda Row Cafe.  Of course, regulars are already used to Landmark's more upscale concession and coffee offerings not usually found at the average cineplex.

What will be on the list?  Montgomery County's liquor regulations make it costlier and more challenging to put together beer and wine lists than in the District.  Having said that, there is little on E Street's list that I haven't already found in Bethesda.

As an example of what's coming to Bethesda Row, E Street is currently offering a "Scotchtober" tasting menu of scotches, bourbons and whiskeys.  They also have a Beer of the Month, which for October is Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale.  And DC Brau is on their beer list.  As an upscale touch, wines are available both by the glass and bottle.  Spirits range from Captain Morgan to fairly-affordable single malt scotches.

Fair warning:  prices will be higher here, due again to jurisdictional policies.

And Landmark will be checking your driver's license.

Is this a plus for you, or do you think alcohol will change the the currently staid atmosphere for the worse?  Leave your thoughts in a comment below.

Personally, I think the theatergoers at Bethesda Row Cinema tend to be mature - not so much in age, as more commonly, in behavior.  I can think of many times when intoxicated people have come from nearby establishments into the Regal Bethesda, so in-house Prohibition doesn't necessarily stop poor behavior.

But I'm definitely curious to hear people's reactions to serving alcohol at the theater.