Liquor and Beer and Wine ... State by State

I, for the first time in ump-teen years am paying some attention to my site/blog.

I've decides that, in view of the fact that, the more you travel state to state, the more weird the liquor laws are.

I know there are states that PROHIBIT liquor consumption where you can buy it by the bottle ... and others that require a bar at a liquor store ...

So I am hoping some of you can chip in with some contributions I could incorporate.

Here is mine for Massachusetts. I know I'm close but have some details off the mark.

If you happen to know what the hotel lobby policy is in your state all the better.

MASSACHUSETTS:
http://www.wheregreggeats.com/ma.htm

THE WhereGreggEats BUYING A DRNK GUIDE

Buying Beer ... Almost any supermarket or gas station. Liberal hours, but locked down on Sunday mornings.

Buying Wine ... At any liquor store during regular hours (roughly M-Sat) from whatever time the open to 10 or 11pm, depending on the store.

You can buy wine at the supermarket ... but oddly enough only at two of each brand of the supermarket in the state. In other words, if Supermarket (or, warehouse store has more than two locations, chances are you can't but wine at yours.) AND, this was upheld by the citizens of Mass in a referendum last year.

Liquor ... Frrom any liquor store, from bright and early in the morning, if the store so chooses, to at least 10pm and sometimes 11 on weekdays and somewhat truncated hours on Sumday ... figure Noon to 8PM on Sundays.

Can anybody help me with essays for the the other 49?

Arizona:
Wine, beer, liquor sales every day from 6:00 am-2:00am except Sunday 10:00am-2:00am. You can get all of the above in a grocery store, convenience store, or liquor store all over the state. You may be able to purchase liquor "to go" at certain bars as long as they have the right permit.

David O.

Thanks David ... I have a feeling we may not be able to see any common denominator state-to-state.

I'll attempt Tennessee.

Package liquor is available in cities which have voted it in. Hours may vary but all are closed on Sunday. Here in my area 8-9am until 10-11pm Monday-Saturday.
Wine is available only in Package stores.
Beer is available at convenience stores and supermarkets plus certain other types of stores such as Beer and Cigar stores. Generally available after 12pm on Sunday and Mon-Sat from early in the morning maybe 6am to around midnight.
Laws here vary a lot from city to city and county to county. There are many areas that permit beer sales but no liquor and there are some areas that are completely dry.
One other thing about the package stores I just remembered. They can't sell anything but the booze and the wine. No soda, snacks maybe not even ice. They also have a strange rule about outside signage, all signs must mounted on the face of the building. This may be a local rule.

California. Fairly simple but I've never looked it up so feel free to question this.

6 AM to 2 AM all days that have a scheduled sunrise and sunset.

On sale, buy here, drink here and can't leave although people buying several expensive bottles of wines do cork and take them. (bars and restaurants)
Off sale, buy here, can't open here, drink somewhere else. (stores)

Everything sold everywhere except some have just a beer and wine license which is cheaper.
It's usually restaurants that don't feel the full license would help business.
Some beer bars and many wine bars, but often they have a full license also.
And some stores like 7-Eleven don't bother with the full liquor license.

Added notes, 24 hour suburban drug and grocery stores have become the new liquor stores.
They didn't used to be open after 9 or 10, but now many are.
Why go to a sleazy liquor store when you can go to a clean well lit shopping center ?

There is something changing as far as taxes.
Mike's Hard Lemonaide and those phony vodka malt drinks were not taxed like alchohol.
I don't know the details but that is changing.

I have a question. When I was a kid, my friends said that some states had 3.2 beer for underage (us) drinkers.
Anyone know about that ?

TX is very confusing. Some areas require a "Club Membership" even in restaurants. And it seems to vary even within a specific city.

No hard liquor can be sold here in Plano (town of 250,000). One border of Plano is Hwy 121, on the other side of it there are one or more booze stores at every intersection.

No beer or wine can be sold in Plano (or maybe TX) before exactly 12:00 on Sunday.

quote:

Originally posted by plb

TX is very confusing.

I was in a Texas restaurant where they wouldn't serve us a beer.
They said we were in the family room which was the only one we saw.
We were moved to the top secret room behind a curtain and through a door where we felt much more comfortable around the old party crowd.

Indiana No Sunday Sales. Hours of sales unknown.
Beer Wine and Hard Liquor is available in Package stores and some supermarkets (including WalMart)
Convenience Stores sell beer and some wine, but not hard liquor.

Kentucky does have local option laws, so there are many dry cities and counties.
I know that in Louisville there is no Sunday Beer sales before noon. And I have noticed that the Wine Department at the Louisville Costco is in a room away from the main store area. They sell beer in the main store, but the wine is not in that part of the building. Don't know the details of "why" that is. No Hard liquor in the Costco there like there was in SoCal.

Al, I hear ya on the Indiana Laws.. After living in Michigan and going down there, it's all way to screwy. But you forgot to mention Election Days.. Seems every time they they have an election (Tuesdays), you cant purchase ANYTHING until after 7pm (when the polls close). Guess they want you sober so you cant blame the booze when the party you voted for screws up.
Here in Michigan, 7am to 2am Monday thru Saturday for all alcohol sales (and bars being open). Sundays it's Noon till 2am, with beer and wine and booze being available in just about every county, yet there's a few around that still have some restrictions (major bible belt here).. But with the separation of Church and State, they're talking (just talking) about starting alcohol sales here at 7am on Sundays.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-42/1214486138327211.xml&coll=6

OH, and in Ohio a few years back (Akron to be exact).. Had to find a 'State run booze store' to buy a fifth.. Had to travel into the ghetto part (closest one people could ID).. Did not like that. Here, I can go into just about every grocery store or party store and stock up with what I need.

I don't know any of the current laws in N.J., however, years ago, after a certain hour you couldn't buy beer in bottles or cans.

But, in bars, you could buy draft beer in paper quart containers. Boy, could just be the nostalgia , but gosh did the beer in those paper containers taste so good!

The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by boyardee65

Arizona:
Wine, beer, liquor sales every day from 6:00 am-2:00am except Sunday 10:00am-2:00am. You can get all of the above in a grocery store, convenience store, or liquor store all over the state. You may be able to purchase liquor "to go" at certain bars as long as they have the right permit.

David O.

We even have "Booze SuperCenters", www.bevmo.com

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

I don't know any of the current laws in N.J., however, years ago, after a certain hour you couldn't buy beer in bottles or cans.

But, in bars, you could buy draft beer in paper quart containers. Boy, could just be the nostalgia , but gosh did the beer in those paper containers taste so good!

The Bear

Thanks Bear.. That reminds me of something else from Indiana. When the bars closed (3am I believe), you could pour your beer into plastic cups and take it out with ya.. (Funny, considering they bust just about everyone for "Public Intox" down there.. Oh, and it was like a $7 dollar charge back in 1990, plus $100 dollar in court costs). No laws like that around here..

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

I don't know any of the current laws in N.J., however, years ago, after a certain hour you couldn't buy beer in bottles or cans.

But, in bars, you could buy draft beer in paper quart containers. Boy, could just be the nostalgia , but gosh did the beer in those paper containers taste so good!

The Bear

Thanks Bear.. That reminds me of something else from Indiana. When the bars closed (3am I believe), you could pour your beer into plastic cups and take it out with ya.. (Funny, considering they bust just about everyone for "Public Intox" down there.. Oh, and it was like a $7 dollar charge back in 1990, plus $100 dollar in court costs). No laws like that around here..

Reminds me of a story:
Its 3 AM, Closing time. A good 'ol boy staggers out of the Honky-Tonk to his truck, fumbles around with his keys, eventually gets in his truck and drives off. An officer of the law has been sitting on a side road observing the good 'ol boy and proceeds in Hot Pursuit and pulls him over. He gives him a field sobriety test and the GOB passes with flying colors and a breathalyzer test comes up 0.00! The Cop can't figure it out so he asks the GOB what's the deal to which he replies-------"Well Officer, it's my turn to be the Designated Decoy tonight!"

In Jersey, you must have a liquor license to sell liquor.No sales in supermarkets or convenience stores...even our Costco's don't sell liquor, because they don't have a license. I know there are only so many available. Maybe someone out there understands these crazy laws!!

No Talent's description of California is how I remembered it when I lived there.
Living in New Orleans was a gas, as it allows 365/24 avilabilty. There are drive-thru daquiri stands, so I guess open container laws are not enforced. I do not know if Louisiana has a higher tolerence for alcohol levels, still I would not recommend driving drunk...

Living here in CT., There are no alcohol sales after 9 PM and never on Sunday. Beer can be bought at supermarkets, but all other forms must be bought at a liquor store. When I moved up here, the town was dry, and you had to drive past the city limits to buy your alcohol. The demarcation point for the town line was Letizia's Pizza....

mark

gregg, you must live in another state than I do.
Here in MA. it's fairly UNCOMMON to be able to purchase beer at a gas station/convience store or grocery store.
The licences are alloted by each community depending on the number of residents and local laws.
Some citys and towns prohibit the sale of hard liquor,
In those towns you may find beer and wine in a grocery type store or the like.
As far as the only two bottles of wine?
I suspect that may be a local ordinance in your town. No wino's allowed.
I can purchase a case at Costco or Kappys, and they have multible locations.
The referrendum that was defeated last year was for the right to sell beer and wine in ALL convience stores and supermarkets thru out the state.
There is or was a bill before the house about being able to take an opened bottle of wine home from a restaraunt, wich would make sence.
It's a shame if your spending top dollar for a bottle of wine and only have a glass or two to leave it behind.
Brew Pubs, We do have a few around, but I do meen few.
This is due to the fact the beer can only be consumed on premise.
No sales of growlers or whatever. So why invest that much money in equipment
to sell to a very limited market.
You could always buy beer or liquor on a Sunday here in Ma leagaly.
Just had to know where to go. Chow Jim

In Pennsylvania the state controls all liquor sales through the Liquor Control Board(LCB) which operates retail stores formerly called "State Stores" now known as "Wine and Spirits Shops." Beer is sold by the case at retail through Beer Distributors and by 6packs at delis who must obtain a beer license. Restaurants and bars must obtain a license to sell liquor,wine and beer by the drink. The LCB operates some Wine and Spirits Shops within supermarkets on a lease basis but the area is closed off and they maintain their own registers and use LCB employees. There is some movement to allow beer sales in supermarkets but, needless to say, the beer distributors are opposed to this.

www.lcb.state.pa.us

In other words, PA is in the dark ages.

quote:

Originally posted by plb

TX is very confusing. Some areas require a "Club Membership" even in restaurants. And it seems to vary even within a specific city.

No hard liquor can be sold here in Plano (town of 250,000). One border of Plano is Hwy 121, on the other side of it there are one or more booze stores at every intersection.

No beer or wine can be sold in Plano (or maybe TX) before exactly 12:00 on Sunday.

PLB is correct; here in the Republic of Texas remnants of the 18th Amendment still exist.

As a rule, beer and wine are readily available at groceries, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and stand-alone "beverage" stores - except on Sundays before noon.

There are hard rules for spirits: counties can elect to be "dry", i.e., no retail sales of bottled spirits. Collin County, where both PLB and yours truly live is "dry": no liquor stores and one has to "join a club" to purchase a cocktail at restaurants (all they do is copy the driver's licenses of the drinkers).

Collin County has a population of 700,000 spread over nearly 900 square miles and I live in the county seat, McKinney, which is at its geographic center. So, buying a bottle of hootch required a 60 mile round trip trek into one of the ajacent counties - Dallas or Denton - which are "wet" but have specific zones in which spirits may be sold at retail. This gives rise to little areas which have 10 or so liquor stores, some as large as 40,000 sq. ft.!

There's a saying that "Protestants don't recognize: (insert a list of liberal political positions) OR EVEN EACH OTHER IN A LIQUOR STORE!" So, no one in Collin County paid much attention to the "opt out" fine print in the "dry law" until 2006 when the tiny town of Anna in NE Collin decided to put liquor sales to a vote; the proposition carried, but by a very narrow margin!

Almost overnight a slew of liquor stores sprang up and I only had to drive 24 round trip miles for my poison. Less than two years later some "concerned Christians" got the proposition back on the ballot, but the citizens of Anna this time voted overwhelmingly to keep the booze business!

Why? It seems that there is a rule that Collin County restaurants and clubs must purchase their spirits in Collin County if able. The campaign to get tiny Anna to rescind its liquor sales was led by a Denton County "self-appointed minister" (no church, no congregation) and was heavily financed by the giant liquor stores of Dallas/Denton who had lost ALL of their Collin County restaurant business and a big hunk of their retail clientele!

Now, for the first time in its history, Anna has a supermarket! Prior to the referenda Anna residents had to travel to McKinney for their groceries. And now, Baylor is building them a hospital and medical campus. The city treasury is so awash in liquor tax revenues that property taxes were slashed and are now the lowest in the County!

Ya gotta love Texas, where men are men and politics is a blood sport!

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

In Jersey, you must have a liquor license to sell liquor.No sales in supermarkets or convenience stores...even our Costco's don't sell liquor, because they don't have a license. I know there are only so many available. Maybe someone out there understands these crazy laws!!

this is actually a bill that is being considered right now. they may begin selling this stuff in Costco's, conv. stores, gas stations, all supermarkets etc. Imho it is not a good idea and i hope it gets stopped from being passed. a lot of small time mom and pop stores will get hurt by this, many employees will lose jobs and the selection will diminish. It will become easier for underage drinks to have access to this stuff too. anyway, i will not get too political but i wanted to make folks in NJ aware.

Wanna get all? Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_the_United_States_by_state (Missouri sounds craziest, Nevada and Louisiana are most lenient)
And then check, http://www.naabla.com/
National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys
There are also "Hospitality lawyers" (I wonder if they treat you extra well?)

As to "my" states:

1. NY. We have On Premise full license, hotel license, club license, restaurant license,eating place beer license, the Off Premise, grocery/drug store on premise, same off premise. There is also controversy over internet sales with special items for winery on line sales. We also have twelve "dry" towns.
Here's a sample For beer: (wine is different)
Alcoholic beverages must be consumed on the premises. However, beer may be sold to go. Hours of sale are determined by the closing hours in the county where your establishment is located. Be sure you know the proper hours. Patrons may consume drinks purchased before closing hours up until one-half hour after the legal closing hours.
The second is known as an "Off Premise" license and that allows for the off premise consumption of alcoholic beverages as follows:

2. NM

Pretty standard. Except:
No store sales on Christmas.
Has a special law for airlines who land in NM but do not have NM liquor license (a passenger got drunk on a flight last year and killed some people after driving home from the airport).

Minnesota allows off-sale of beer, wine or spirits only in licensed liquor stores. Many small communities have municipal liquor stores thus a monopoly because private liquor stores are thus not allowed. This is mostly outstate from the Twin Cities. They are closed on Sundays. They are open until 8 PM Monday through Thursday and 10 PM Friday and Saturday. Near beer or 3.2 beer can be sold in grocery and convenient stores. They too cannot be sold on Sundays I believe, consequently few stores bother to. Alcohol can be served on premise on Sundays in restaurants and bars.

Some, but very few, grocers like Trader Joes and Byerlys (an upscale grocery) sell beer, wine and spirits but their stores are totally separated from the main grocery with permanent walls, outside entrances and separate cash registers. In effect they become attached liquor stores and you cannot combine your liquor shopping with your groceries.

I don't have a problem with the liquor store only concept. I live in exurbia yet there are 5 liquor stores within 2 miles of my home offering a wide variety of wines and craft beers. When I travel elsewhere I get a bit dismayed at the widespread proliferation in grocery and convenient stores but notice it is mostly big brands of BudMillerCoors type beers or cheap Gallo brand type wines and little selection.

quote:

Originally posted by foobuc

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

In Jersey, you must have a liquor license to sell liquor.No sales in supermarkets or convenience stores...even our Costco's don't sell liquor, because they don't have a license. I know there are only so many available. Maybe someone out there understands these crazy laws!!

this is actually a bill that is being considered right now. they may begin selling this stuff in Costco's, conv. stores, gas stations, all supermarkets etc. Imho it is not a good idea and i hope it gets stopped from being passed. a lot of small time mom and pop stores will get hurt by this, many employees will lose jobs and the selection will diminish. It will become easier for underage drinks to have access to this stuff too. anyway, i will not get too political but i wanted to make folks in NJ aware.

Actually, I think that the restriction is that only 3 stores of a 'chain' can sell liquor in Jersey. There is liquor and wine sold at the Costco stores in Wayne, Edison and (I think) Clifton. I picked up a bottle of JW Blue label at the Edison location 3 weeks ago for my new grandson's christening party. Impressive to see a whole pallet of JW Blue. I thought the prices were generally good compare to New York prices.

It's definitely a Tower of Babel out there.

Vermont had a law about not serving a drink if you had an unfinished one in front of you. I think it had something to do with lining them up at closing time. If you ordered a shot and a beer, they'd actually hold the beer till you finished the shot.

New Hampshire has state liquor stores. It's funny to see one of the largest liquor stores in a highway rest stop of interstate 93 in Hooksett. They're open 7 ways a week. Hense the state motto, "Live Free or Die".

New York, wine & liquor only available in liquor stores. No chains allowed. Until recently all liquor stores closed on Sunday. Liquor stores can not sell anything but wine and liquor, so no mixers or crackers and such. Bars can not sell anything for off premises consumption. Beer is sold in groceries and convenience stores. You couldn't buy beer before noon on Sunday but I think that changed as well.

Speaking Massachusetts, anyone else familiar with the store Table & Vine in Northampton? That is some store!

Ours go by city ordinances(same counties). Where I am in Gainesville you can buy 7 days a week, 7a to 11p(no liquor on Sundays)beer and wine beginning at 1p on Sundays. When I lived in Newberry, 15 miles away, no liquor on Sundays either but you can buy beer as early as 7a on Sunday, same goes 20 miles down the road east in Melrose. Down the road in a different direction west, in High Springs it's totally dry on Sundays but you can drive 7-8 miles to Newberry(also west) to get your fix. Bars serve liquor until 2a Mon-Sat. Now if you go through Newberry over the county line you can get liquor in the BIG city of Bronson. I hope this makes sense as I'm getting ready to watch the race and have had a couple of beers!

Oklahoma defines low-point beer as any beverage containing between 0.5% and 3.2% alcohol by weight.[1] Any beverage containing more alcohol than this may only be sold in licensed liquor stores, and also must be sold at room temperature.

Off-premises

It is illegal to sell packaged liquor (off-premises sales) on Sundays or on the day of any national, state, county, or municipal election (including primary elections) during the hours the polls are open. Sales also are prohibited on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.[5] Low-point beer for consumption off-premises may not be sold between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m

On-premises

In Oklahoma, each county decides for itself whether it will permit the sale of alcohol by the glass. Low-point beer may not be sold for consumption on-premises or allowed to be consumed in places licensed to sell alcohol between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Licensed vendors may not advertise happy hours, serve more than two beverages at a time to a customer, give a discount to a person or group of persons, or permit the play of games that involve drinking.

You can buy Low point beer cold at grocery stores--convienence stores--gas stations---but not wine--that is at liquor stores ---or at the winery--more and more of which are springing up---some pretty good ones too.
Oh--and Licensed vendors may not advertise happy hours, serve more than two beverages at a time to a customer, give a discount to a person or group of persons, or permit the play of games that involve drinking---and------it is specifically illegal to sell alcohol to nude people!!!!

I have a question. When I was a kid, my friends said that some states had 3.2 beer for underage (us) drinkers.
Anyone know about that ?
There are not any 3.2 bars anywhere as far as I know. There were when the drinking age was 18 for beer and 21 for liquor. Now the drinking age in all of the USA is 21. Colorado will only sell 3.2 beer in the super markets as the liquor stores are closed on Sunday.

David O.

South Carolina..
actually that Wiki link mentioned above is a perfect description of the liquour sales here.

Liquor stores open Mon-Sat 9Am-7PM-Closed on Sundays and election days.

No "hard liquor sales on Sunday at stores. They are all ABC stores.

You can buy beer and wine 24/7 in most convenience stores and grocery stores.
A bar/restaurant must purchase a Sunday liquor sales permit if they want to serve alcohol (any type) on Sundays.
Otherwise, they MUST be closed by midnight on Saturday.
Bars close at 2AM. (Or owners discretion)--
I am sure there are many local ordinances that I may not be familiar with.

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

South Carolina..
actually that Wiki link mentioned above is a perfect description of the liquour sales here.

Liquor stores open Mon-Sat 9Am-7PM-Closed on Sundays and election days.

No "hard liquor sales on Sunday at stores. They are all ABC stores.

You can buy beer and wine 24/7 in most convenience stores and grocery stores.
A bar/restaurant must purchase a Sunday liquor sales permit if they want to serve alcohol (any type) on Sundays.
Otherwise, they MUST be closed by midnight on Saturday.
Bars close at 2AM. (Or owners discretion)--
I am sure there are many local ordinances that I may not be familiar with.

We stopped at a Outback on Sunday just outside Greenwood, SC a few years back. Was surprised they didn't/couldn't serve alcohol on Sunday. Waitress said something about an upcoming vote allowing Sunday sales.Guess they did enough food business to warrant staying open on Sunday.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

In Jersey, you must have a liquor license to sell liquor.No sales in supermarkets or convenience stores...even our Costco's don't sell liquor, because they don't have a license. I know there are only so many available. Maybe someone out there understands these crazy laws!!

Doesn't every state require some kind of a license in order to sell liquor?

Anyway, you are incorrect about supermarkets not being able to sell liquor in NJ. Most Wegman's markets in NJ have a full liquor department. Even a few older A & P markets in NJ sell liquor, due to a very limited number of liquor licenses that were made available to food stores many years ago.

It all depends on the availability of liquor licenses in a particular municipality. For instance, the Costco in Edison sells liquor, simply because they were able to purchase a liquor license in that municipality, whereas the one in Bridgewater does not sell liquor, due to a lack of availability of a license in that town. Each town sets its own limit for the number of licenses that are available, and in most towns, all available licenses have been issued. Hence, an inability for a new business to sell liquor in many towns. However, if a retailer decides to close down his liquor business, he/she can sell his license for a very large sum of money to someone else.