NYC’s proposed brunch changes stink of sexism

If boozy brunch gets started earlier on Sundays, we’ll have sports fans to thank.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office convened the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law Working Grouplast October to review New York state’s more eccentric rules governing how booze can be made, served and consumed.

The groupsubmitted its report to the governor’s officeyesterday, and it contained a proposal to move the Sunday booze gauntlet up four hours, from noon to 8 a.m., or create a permit that would grant exemptions to special events.

But the reasoning suggests the change is notabout treating mimosas the same way on Sunday mornings as every other day of the week. The report cites a recent Buffalo Bills game played in London, which was screened at 9:30 a.m. here — which meant no customary beer, asfootball traditiondemands.

And this horror will be visited upon us again!

“A similar situation will be faced next season when the New York Giants football team is expected to play in London,” the report continues.”With the increase in cable sports channels, European soccer matches are routinely televised live on Sunday mornings. The Working Group also discussed the common practice of consuming alcoholic beverages during Sunday “brunch.” “

So in the eyes of the committee, concerns over building asoccer fanbase rates above acknowledging the existing, and overwhelmingly female-driven,culture of catching up with friends over a Sunday morning meal.As Eater noted, those quote marks around brunch come offawfullyironic. Ignoring the largely female brunch crowd, then jumping as soon as football fans — some of whom are perhaps the same legislators who would considerthe measure? — are inconvenienced has more than a whiff of sexism to it.

The governor’s office announced that he will review the report, and there’s reason to be hopeful given his track record of loosening the regulations on alcohol producers that has led to an explosion of distilleries and breweries in recent years.