How dumb are your state/province's liquor laws?

[dinnerstick]

the new government here is trying to pass a law that liquor cannot be sold to under 18's!! but 16 and up and can still possess and drink liquor, and buy beer and wine
hahaha!!

 

[mikeh80]

Here in Illinois, it's mostly governed on a township-to-township basis. Thus, out here in BFE, you have to drive a little ways if you want to get anything on a Sunday. In my town, there are only two liquor licenses, and they're both held by the 2 bars we have here. A big part of the reason I got into HB in the first place is the scant selection of good beer out here in the boonies.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Actually, homebrewing in Utah just became legal about two years ago, if I remember the time period correctly!

It was actually four years in March of 2012. Technically it wasn't illegal to homebrew prior to that. The problem was that there was no distinction between homebrewing and commercial brewing, so if you were willing to post a $10,000 bond with the state, you could legally homebrew.

If I could do away with one stupid law in Utah it would be the 4% restriction on draft beer. It makes no sense that I can't get a >4% beer on tap but I can get one in the bottle.

 

[user 107007]

Separation of Church and State was skimmed over when Utah became a state.

I think most of the idiot laws have been covered, the Zion curtain is probably the most idiotic imo.

 

[osagedr]

Finally, the taxes here in Ontario are brutal. A case of 24 "domestic" beer will run you between $35-$45, plus bottle deposit ($0.10/bottle).

Out here in the hinterland folks are paying $45-$50 for a two-four. I was in Ontario for a conference this summer and was hearing ads on the radio for 24 beer for (IIRC) about $28. Small towns out here $28 just gets you a dozen.

Oh, but we have "free" health care.

 

[zachattack]

Surprised nobody's mentioned MA yet!

Compared to some of the other things I just read, we don't have it too bad. Plenty of locally owned fantastic beer/liquor stores, and decent distribution here.

Some MA quirks:
1) No happy hour / drink specials allowed
2) A franchise/chain can only have 3 stores in the state that get liquor licenses. So even if there are 10 Trader Joes, only 3 can sell beer/wine.

I grew up in NH and that wasn't bad. Beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores, but liquor stores were state owned. This is actually fine, since the state gets the profit the booze is generally dirt cheap. And the selection's not bad.

 

[Gameface]

It was actually four years in March of 2012. Technically it wasn't illegal to homebrew prior to that. The problem was that there was no distinction between homebrewing and commercial brewing, so if you were willing to post a $10,000 bond with the state, you could legally homebrew.

If I could do away with one stupid law in Utah it would be the 4% restriction on draft beer. It makes no sense that I can't get a >4% beer on tap but I can get one in the bottle.

I agree that for me the most frustrating restriction is the 4% limit on draft beer and beer sold in grocery stores/gas stations.

For my wife it was pulling wine coolers (flavored malt beverages) out of grocery stores and gas stations. My understanding is that the daughter of a state legislator got busted drinking. Her excuse was that she didn't know there was alcohol in wine coolers. The legislator dubbed wine coolers "alco-pops" and got them removed from the stores so that underage kids wouldn't accidentally get drunk thinking they were drinking a fruit drink.

Reading this thread is funny. Here in Utah we're all up in arms thinking we're the only ones with silly nonsense liquor laws. Turns out some have it even worse than we do.

Oh, one that has been forgotten. A few years ago a few local micro-breweries got together and invested in a large bottling facility. They bought equipment to fill the 5L mini kegs, which was perfectly legal at the time. I think it was the very next legislative session Sen. Valentine (he sponsors all the liquor related legislation) tackled that "loop-hole" and banned the sale of 5L mini kegs. So the local micro breweries were out whatever they had spent on that equipment in less than a year. Yet I can still walk over to the gas station and buy as many 30pks of Natural Light as my heart desires.

Kegs cannot be sold to the general public. No mini-bottles of liquor at all.

But you can by beer (limit 4%abv) at gas stations until 1am.

 

[Doongie]

Surprised nobody's mentioned MA yet!

Compared to some of the other things I just read, we don't have it too bad. Plenty of locally owned fantastic beer/liquor stores, and decent distribution here.

Some MA quirks:
1) No happy hour / drink specials allowed
2) A franchise/chain can only have 3 stores in the state that get liquor licenses. So even if there are 10 Trader Joes, only 3 can sell beer/wine.

I grew up in NH and that wasn't bad. Beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores, but liquor stores were state owned. This is actually fine, since the state gets the profit the booze is generally dirt cheap. And the selection's not bad.

Yeah, MA was a shock for me when I moved there from Louisiana... More than once I ended up driving to RI or NH because I had not planned properly. We even had trouble getting served in restaurants and taverns, they claim they can't verify the validity of any id except a MA drivers license. Private clubs were a bit weird too.

 

[SteveM]

In Pennsylvania things are pretty f'ed up as well. Liquor and wine is sold by the state (they have some stores inside grocery stores, but they are still operated by the PA LCB. On the plus side they've expanded the wine offerings, opened some stores on Sunday and gotten more competitive on pricing (mostly because it is just too easy to drive to Delaware or New Jersey in SE PA.) Home brewing is legal (thankfully) but beer sales are stuck in the past. You have to go to a beer distributor to get decent pricing - but you must by full cases and/or kegs. If you want a six pack or some 22oz bottles you have to go to a bar/restaurant that has a carry-out license. Prices are higher and you can buy no more 192 ounces at a time.

Luckily the licenses for brew pubs and breweries isn't that restricted and we have some decent ones in the area. Craft beer is at least easy to get in there!

On the plus side, grocery stores have broken the code for beer sales, and now Whole Foods and Wegmans are selling beer. Whole Foods in particular is doing a great job of it where they sell it (you have to have sit-down food service to qualify). They have little pubs built into the stores that have beers on tap (normally local drafts) and a great selection of locals, craft beers from elsewhere around the country and Europeans, all kept in a room that's dark and chilled to about 45F. Wegmans have HUGE selection though the one nearest me has a kind of an awkward check out system.

A succession of governors have tried to do away with the state run system and failed, but Corbett seems to have a decent plan...maybe he'll succeed.

 

[gstrawn]

Wow.... I had no idea. Here in Georgia I thought no Sunday sales was bad. Now it's city by city and not before 11 or12? About 5 years ago the law restricting "beer" above 6% was overturned, anything above was to be labeled " malt liquor." Liquor stores stop selling at 11:30 here, but I think that'd regional. Nothing else... I thought ga was resistive, but no happy hour, state ran liquor stores, and limiting license sales? Absolutely incredible. Just let me do what I want unless I'm hurting anyone else!!

 

[HopHeadGrady]

Ontario Canada is a joke. I'll just say that alcohol is legal.... Barely. Talk to any brew pub owner and you will be mad real quick with just how strict conditions are. Prices... Well It's just under 50 bucks for a case of decent beer. 15 bucks a six for a craft beer is avg. You buy from them or go to Quebec. LCBO says they offer the best prices possible and allowing corner stores to sell isn't needed. I say that if they are indeed getting us the best possible price, then what's wrong with a little competition... Hehe

Majority of people here are into making cheap booze, not brewing quality.

Ther will never be a happy hr here or anything like that. ever. This is what happens when Mormons start your province..... Idiots.

 

[mcbaumannerb]

There is no doubt that in the Philly area we have an awesome selection of great beers. I hope the three tier system finally gets the overhaul it needs, but I'm pessimistic. Too many vested interests that donate too much to the politicos. We can hope though

 

[Hogarthe]

I have a question.... is it true that in Texas you have to have a license to buy alcohol? one of my friends went there a couple years ago, and that's what he told me. I've never heard of anywhere that had an alcohol buying license, just one if you were selling alcohol.

In TN, the laws aren't too bad. but they vary a bit place to place. some cities or counties have blue laws, others don't. You can't buy wine or liquor except in a liquor store, and some places outlaw liqour stores. so if you live in one of those places, you have to drive to the next town to get wine or spirits, but can get all the beer you want at the grocery store or gas station. Beer or other "malt beverage" like those fruit drinks is capped at 6%, except at a liqour store. at least 6 % is a reasonable number though, as most beer is probably in that range. I don't see how other states limit the beer to lower than that and make the brewers have to make a seperate product to sell there.
every year the legislature votes down a wine in grocery store bill. eventually it will pass, I think....

homebrewing is legal, and doesn't have any restrictions, as far as I know.

 

[Yooper]

I have a question.... is it true that in Texas you have to have a license to buy alcohol? one of my friends went there a couple years ago, and that's what he told me. I've never heard of anywhere that had an alcohol buying license, just one if you were selling alcohol.

No, of course not. You can buy beer and wine in the grocery store (or gas station) and you can buy booze/wine/beer at any liquor store.

 

[thadius856]

Wow. California doesn't have any of these weird laws that I know of.

Gas stations, corner stores, grocery stores, etc. all sell beer, liquor and wine every day. I'm pretty sure there's no time limit on when you can buy it either. Last call at bars is always no later than 2 am.

The only thing I can think of that comes close is strip clubs. You can have a bikini bar that serves, or a full nude club that doesn't. Usually door admission at a full nude club gets you a wrist bad good for two... cans of soda. -.-

 

[Onihige]

I'm not part of any American State, but oh well. Silly is silly.

I think I've touched the subject somewhere else, so I'll just explain breifly. State owned liquor store can sell anything above 3.5% ABV, the rest have to be content with a lower ABV or have a serving permit, such as bars and resturants.

The state owned liquor stores are also closed on sundays, but not for religious reasons - they used to be closed on saturdays too, but that didn't last. I don't really mind it, while it is stupid and pointless - you just have to stock up, make your own damn beer or go to a regular store and get 3.5% ABV beer.

Oh, yeah. I had almost forgotten, at my local grocery store (I live in the middle of nowhere) you can buy folk beer (that's what we call 3.5% beer) versions of Brew Dog beer. I think it's the Punk IPA and Blonde Lager. Which is... surreal.

 

[schooner427]

Yea your right. In Pa they have opened up beer sales to 2 grocery stores. Tried to buy a sampler from Wegmans and they wouldn't sell it to me because my underage daughter was in line with me. I was speechless. Haven't been in a Wegmans since.

 

[drainbamage]

Wow, after reading through this I feel lucky not to have anything too crazy going on in my area, although KY varies a lot from county to county. We're finally starting to get over Sunday sales restrictions, mostly because the bourbon distilleries were getting screwed on their weekend tasting sessions and gift shop sales, and they have a lot of lobbying power in Frankfort. We also don't have the high-ABV restrictions that Ohio has had, and you can find decent craft beer in grocery stores and some gas stations.

The one downside is that we still have a lot of "dry" counties. I live in an area with a strong German/Irish Catholic heritage, so booze has always been pretty well accepted. However, if you're heading further south than Lexington or Richmond for camping or whatever, you'd better stock up ahead of time (or else know the sheriff/preacher in charge of the local moonshine ring ).

 

[uncommonsense]

The laws in IL are probly the same as anywhere but a lot of liquor stores will card everyone with your or they wont sell to you. Its dumb especially if someone happens to forget there wallet. Im told they will even card you just walking around the store and escort all of your group out if one person is under age and not your child.

 

[petey_c]

No, of course not. You can buy beer and wine in the grocery store (or gas station) and you can buy booze/wine/beer at any liquor store.

Yoop, I remember going to some restaurant/bars in the DFW area (1990's -ish) and in order to drink you had to a member of a "club". I think it was called the "uni-card." This allowed you to drink at any place that served alcohol (Chi-Chi's, etc.) around town. I believe they've since done away with it. I think that might have been what hogarthe was referring to.

 

[Brewtah]

Utah does have some wacky laws, but much has changed last 10 years. I miss the mini-bottle. The state did not want big liquor bottles in bars, so they would make your drink with an entire mini. You could also bring your own bottle and pour your own. It was great. In the 40's and 50's bars had lockers so you could leave your bottle there.

The wall came around in the 80's. Then went away, now it's back. No more private clubs, or buying memberships anymore. Rumor has it wine will be in the grocery store soon. I doubt it, but you never know. I always have hope.

The great thing is you can still bring your own wine to a restaurant. Small cork charge, still huge money saver. I would rather deal with Utah laws then some of the southern state laws.

 

[gstrawn]

Utah does have some wacky laws, but much has changed last 10 years. I miss the mini-bottle. The state did not want big liquor bottles in bars, so they would make your drink with an entire mini. You could also bring your own bottle and pour your own. It was great. In the 40's and 50's bars had lockers so you could leave your bottle there.

The wall came around in the 80's. Then went away, now it's back. No more private clubs, or buying memberships anymore. Rumor has it wine will be in the grocery store soon. I doubt it, but you never know. I always have hope.

The great thing is you can still bring your own wine to a restaurant. Small cork charge, still huge money saver. I would rather deal with Utah laws then some of the southern state laws.

Southern states laws? Any examples. Ga has none of the laws mentioned above, only restriction is not purchase after 11:30. Groceries store can't sell liquor. That's all

 

[thadius856]

I seem to remember NC being no liquor on Sunday, no liquor in grocery stores, no 24/7 liquor stores.

I feel like I remember not being able to buy lottery tickets in California after certain hours. But Google isn't turning anything up.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

In North Carolina, all distilled spirits are sold through the ABC store. Beer is capped at 15% ABV, most(all?) counties have no sales of beer/wine before noon on Sunday. ABC is closed Sundays. Some counties are still completely dry. Some have a wet city within a dry county.

Up until 2005 or so, beer was capped at 6% in NC. I actually recently met one of the gentlemen involved with this movement. They raised and spent 100k to hire a lobbyist to fight for this change.

As for liquor drinkers... sucks for them. Glad I don't mess with the firewater very often. I still have a bottle of vodka in my pantry from like 4 years ago.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

I seem to remember NC being no liquor on Sunday, no liquor in grocery stores, no 24/7 liquor stores.

I feel like I remember not being able to buy lottery tickets in California after certain hours. But Google isn't turning anything up.

NC recently accepted the lottery. They call it the "NC educational lottery" because it takes the devil out of gambling.

Still no liquor on Sundays or 24 hr liquor stores. Only ABC state run stores.

 

[Brewtah]

Southern states laws? Any examples. Ga has none of the laws mentioned above, only restriction is not purchase after 11:30. Groceries store can't sell liquor. That's all

I remember being in Dallas and not being able to buy beer after 10 pm. Uh...Is Franklin still dry? Plus all of the partially dry counties and dry communities in Georgia. Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky all have dry and partially dry counties. You don't see many in the western US.

 

[thadius856]

NC recently accepted the lottery. They call it the "NC educational lottery" because it takes the devil out of gambling.

Still no liquor on Sundays or 24 hr liquor stores. Only ABC state run stores.

Yeah. I remember the lottery thing.

A holier-than-thou type I knew got addicted to the scratchers. Every time she'd lose, she's swear them off as "the devil". Sure enough, she'd be right back to it next payday, playing herself broke over the few days after, then complaining she was the devil made her broke until the next pay day...

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Yeah. I remember the lottery thing.

A holier-than-thou type I knew got addicted to the scratchers. Every time she'd lose, she's swear them off as "the devil". Sure enough, she'd be right back to it next payday, playing herself broke over the few days after, then complaining she was the devil made her broke until the next pay day...

It's easier to blame others for your own faults and "the devil" is usually the fall guy.

These Aunt Jemima characters are usually the first to accredit Jesus for their good luck.

Got a speeding ticket on your way home? It was the devil pushing your foot down. Found a $100 bill the same day in the parking lot - now that was Jesus.

 

[Funnage]

These Aunt Jemima characters are usually the first to accredit Jesus for their good luck.

Got a speeding ticket on your way home? It was the devil pushing your foot down. Found a $100 bill the same day in the parking lot - now that was Jesus.

I'm just jealous of Jesus's homebrewing skills. All he needs is a couple jugs of water.

 

[thadius856]

Wouldn't that be homevintning skills?