New York's post-Prohibition liquor licensing regime (1934)
After Prohibition ended, New York enacted the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law and created the State Liquor Authority to license and police alcohol sales. The Authority's Licensing Bureau has issued and renewed these permits ever since.
New York built a licensing apparatus that controls who can sell alcohol and where.
The same regime still runs today, including the '500-foot' hearing that applies to dense areas.
Explains why a single restaurant license at 70-06 Roosevelt Ave required a public hearing and a state-level approval.
