Alcohol laws

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Torchiest

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The thread BeerRenter started got me thinking: what are all the variations in alcohol laws by country and state? Maybe we can all compile a list and just compare the wacky differences.

Here in Texas, liquor can only be sold in liquor stores. Beer and wine can be sold in any supermarket or convenience store as well as liquor stores. Liquor stores have to close at 9pm, and they cannot be open on Sundays. You can't buy beer or wine until noon on Sunday. You can't buy beer or wine after midnight, except on Saturdays when the limit is 1am.
 
I'll give the abbreviated Utah laws, as I understand them.

All beer is 3.2 beer unless it is sold in a bar or pub.

All cocktails sold in restaurants only have 1 shot of liquor in them unless they require "flavor" shots. You can get one additional shot per "flavor". In other words, if you want a mixed drink. Get the mixed drink with the most spirits listed as ingredients. If you get a martini, its only one shot of vodka.

If you want a drink at a restaurant, you must order food first.

You can never have more than one drink in front of you at a time. If you need a chaser, take a buddy with you. You order one and they order the other, you drink them both.

You don't have to order food with your drink at a bar or pub. But bars and pubs are, "private clubs" and you need a membership. You can buy a daily or weekly membership at most "private clubs". Think of it as being like a cover charge. Or you can hang around outside until a local will, "sponser" you in.

Liquor and +3.2% beer can only be distributed at State Liquor Stores. This means that if you need them for a party on Sunday or a holiday, you need to plan ahead.
 
The laws here in Florida vary from one county to the next. Up until a couple of years ago the "blue" laws were prevalent in this area (Tampa Bay - a four county area) but now things have relaxed (in the name of tax revenue I'm sure).
I live in Tampa (Hillsborough County) and work in St. Pete (Pinellas County).
They are quite similar with one major difference (which may have changed recently but I'm not sure) - in Pinellas you can't buy package liquor on Sunday but in Hillsborough you can. Aside from that..... you can buy beer and wine nearly anywhere - convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, liquor stores etc., but liquor can only be purchased at a "liquor store". You can buy anything after 8:00am any day except Sunday - then it's after 11:00am.
In bars and restaurants they have to have a liquor license with which they can sell any alcoholic beverages, or a beer and wine license with which they can only sell - duh - beer and wine. With a little planning there is minimal problem with getting what you desire (need!) when you like.
I lived in Minneapolis for a couple of years (WTF was I thinking!) in the 80's and as I recall they had some incredibly inconvenient liquor laws involving "state stores" with very limited hours.
 
Memphis, TN - Liquor and wine is sold at liquor stores, Beer can be sold at grocery stores, gas stations, and even Walgreen's up to (i think) 5%. Beer over 5% is considered Malt Liquor and is only sold at Liquor stores.

Just 5 miles from here in Southaven, MS - Happy Hours you may only have 1 at a time. This is where things get complicated. Sunday is a dry county, you can have beer after Noon. however there is a very fine line. A highway runs through it. On one side this applies on the other side it doesn't.
 
Ohio is pretty nice and simple. You can basically buy beer/wine/alcohol (up to 20%) anywhere that has a liquor licence. Any higher you need to go to a liquor store. The county that I live on the border of was dry until recently. So there was nothing at all, but luckilly there was a speedway and liquor store that was across the street from the limits that did sell alcohol.

Lets see...alcohol cant be sold after 2am. On Sundays I always get confused. With the correct liquor licence you can sell beer any time, but wine and liquor after noon. If you dont have this licence you cant sell wine or liquor at all.

I was pretty surprised at some of the other laws, like Utah! They make it a little too hard to get a good drink...
 
In Tasmania I think you can buy alcohol (anything) from 0900 - 2300 from bottle shops (off licences / liquor stores or whatever you want to call them).
However these are the only places that you can purchase, luckily there are hundreds of them and nearly all drive through. ...handy when you buy 4 cartons like I did yesterday :) :tank:

I have seen people get served in pubs at 9am.
 
In Indiana, you can buy beer from convienence stores but only warm, and no alcohol at all on Sundays...from anywhere
 
I have a good one:
Randolph county Alabama is a dry county you may not purchase alcohol of any kind. No alcohol may be in the passenger compartment of your vehicle. No more than 1 case of beer per person is allowed in your home and no more than 1 case of beer in your vehicle regardless of the number of passengers or you will be charged as a bootlegger. If the beer in your trunk is on ice that is also a violation of the law.
I don't remember what the limits on liquor are but something like 1 fifth per person and only 1 fifth in your trunk but it could be a half gallon.

This is all hearsay from a long time resident not a lawyer.
 
South Carolina has a 5% ABW cap on all beers, although people are working hard to get legislation introduced & passed to raise it to 14% ABW. (Let's hope it passes this year!)

http://ptcsc.wordpress.com/

We also have stores that are split, liquor on one side, wine & beer on the other. Same building, different doors. Odd. Liquor isn't sold after 7.

No alcohol sales on Sunday... although some counties and cities are allowing sales in restaurants now.

Up until last year, all liquor at bars was dispensed from mini-bottles! It made mixed drinks with 3+ liquors very expensive.
 
East Coast of Florida- Brevard County- can't buy beer until after 1pm on Sundays. Not sure about the rest, i am usually stocked on Mojitos rums and stuff all the time. Restaurants cant serve alchohol after 2pm duh, but we have after hours clubs, where you can bring your own beer and booze and they'll mix drinks for you for a fee... that goes on until 6 am.

On another note, no smoking in any bar/pub that gets 10% or more of its revenue from food.

I dont know about Japan anymore, but when i went, i was out until after 5 am at the bars at 19, and they'll serve you until you cant drink any more! Plus, beer in vending machines!
 
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