Basra Slope

Some Park Slope deli owners have stopped selling alcohol:

At Stop and Fifth deli on Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street, where Mr. Ramirez had often bought beer in the past, he discovered that the Rolling Rocks had been replaced by organic vanilla soy milk. And two blocks south, Mr. Ramirez found that the Salem Deli and Grocery on Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street was also suddenly going dry, with just a few stray bottles of beer and wine coolers left on its shelves.

As it turns out, the Muslim owners of both delis have stopped selling alcoholic drinks, largely for religious reasons. The move has surprised longtime customers like Mr. Ramirez, leaving some to speculate on whether other Muslim merchants might follow suit.

Although both delis sit squarely in a busy, youthful neighborhood with no shortage of potential customers, the owners were firm about their decision.

But without the lucrative income from selling $10 sixpacks of Rolling Rock, how will they make money? On principle:

“The Koran says no alcohol,” said Abraham Saleh, a Yemeni immigrant who is a co-owner of Stop and Fifth. After he and his partners bought the store in the spring, he explained, they began a gradual upgrade of the space. They stopped selling beer as soon as they obtained a license to sell cigarettes, which helped replace the lost beer income.