I thought this might be a fun topic because liquor laws are so different state to state
(I’m really trying to think of anything that might be a distraction, if everyone thinks it’s stupid, this can die a nice quiet death)
Michigan
You can buy beer, wine and any hard liquor at grocery stores or gas stations. No state stores and all alcohol is easily available.
What I wish was different in my area (they could have these in other parts of Michigan, not just mine) is a wine shop. Where you could have a knowledgeable staff member recommend good wine. Now I take a stab or read little wine reviews on the shelf.
And as I like to say, Michigan is a one stop shop. At the UP gas station, you can buy your liquor, your ammo, deer bait, lotto tickets and smoked fish all at once. Was a shock to me when I first moved here ?
In NH AFAIK you can only buy liquor at the state run liquor stores, which also sell wine, but not beer. I was recently told there is a single exception to this in the backwoods of the south central part of the state.
Beer and wine can be purchased at food stores.
When I was a teenager in CT in the 70s, the drinking age was 18 (enforced, kind of), and you couldn’t buy beer after 8 (even if the store was still open). My high school yearbook is full of references to “7:59”.
Here in NC, you can buy wine and beer in the grocery stores but you have to go to ABC stores for liquor. And those only have liquor. Kind of annoying.
Now in Ohio where I grew up and went to school they have these wonderful things called ice houses. They’re like mutant drive thru garages that sell booze!! So awesome, so dangerous! LOL
New York
Wine and hard liquor only in liquor stores
Beer
In grocery stores, drug stores or brew pubs. (I’m pretty sure a mini-market attached to a gas station counts as a grocery store.)
No liquor before noon on Sunday. No liquor stores within 200 feet of a school or religious institution. Minors (under 21) cannot drink liquor except with their family at home or as part of an educational program. (i.e. culinary school)
All beer, wine and liquor is only sold in privately owned (meaning not state owned) liquor stores. We have always called them liquor stores even though they sell beer and wine. In addition to that, we also have niche shops that mainly sell wine with trained, knowledgeable staff that have tastings and help with selections.
However, in Maryland, alcohol sales are governed by county so there are a few exceptions, with a couple of rural counties that allow beer/wine sales in grocery/convenience stores. In addition, some counties do not sell alcohol on Sundays.
PA: Beer and wine at many supermarkets, but limited (approx. a 15-pack of beer, maybe 2 bottles of wine). You can also buy beer and spiked cider, seltzer, etc. at a beer distributor (privately owned beverage store). Most are open on Sundays, varied hours. Some convenience stores sell 6-packs. Have never seen beer for sale at a pharmacy or gas station in PA, but maybe in some areas it occurs.
Hard liquor and wine comes from the State Store (now loftily named Fine Wine and Spirits but still State-run). These have been closed for at least 2 weeks in my area of the state (although I’m still not buying the idea that liquor is not essential, especially in these circumstances).
@ChaosParent23, grew up in Ohio also. Instead of ice houses, we called them brew thru’s. They are the best.
@LuckyCharms913, both of my kids live in PA, I’m always confused by the beer store and the wine store lol! When their boyfriends have visited us in Michigan, they seem so delighted, confused that you can buy the finest scotch at the corner gas station! I forgot but yes, definitely at the pharmacy also.
Anyone in Louisiana? Their liquor laws seem ummm very liberal?And open containers also?
Missouri
Beer, wine and liquor available many places - grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations, etc. 24/7 as far as I know.
Open container laws - I’m pretty sure it is illegal for the driver to drink while the car is running, but other than that I’m not aware of prohibition of open containers in the car.
Tennessee - recently opened up the liquor laws. Beer was previously available in grocery stores, but not wine. Now both are available, and regulations have been relaxed on liquor stores.
Fun fact: previously, every item for sale in the liquor store had to have a higher alcoholic content than beer (Not sure if they used 3.2% or what).
Does a wine opener have a higher alcoholic content than beer? No, so the liquor store couldn’t sell it. How about glassware, snacks, or club soda? No, can’t sell those either. Beer? No, couldn’t be sold in a liquor store. Now a liquor store can sell all of that. Not sure what limitations are on Sunday sales.
This time last year we were on a tour of the Galapagos. Were in Quito on election day. No alcohol sales, including restaurants.
@mathmom has done a good job summarizing NY state. I THINK drug stores can sell wine too but there must be some restrictions. Our local Duane Reade, now part of Walgreen’s, sells Chateau Diana wine and only that brand. Maybe it has a lower alcohol content?
The package store owners association is a fairly powerful lobby. Trader Joe’s is allowed ONE wine store in NYC. It’s at Union Square, right next to the TJ grocery store. The wine store doesn’t sell hard liquor. Beer is sold in the grocery store.
Having finally snagged a delivery slot for FreshDirect, I am appreciating TJ’s wine shop even more. My favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is $18 instead of $14.
@jonri Chateau Diane only has 6% alcohol and is an abomination that is a mix of wine, water, sugar, juice concentrate and other things that shouldn’t be in wine. But I guess it counts as beer! I’ve seen it in our grocery store, but not at the CVS.
Minnesota
Just went to Sunday sales, so now you can go to liquor stores any day. There are some municipal stores, but no state stores. I believe MN is the last state with the 3.2% alcohol beer distinction, and you can get that many places (grocery, gas station, etc.)
Edit: We passed a much relaxed set of brew pub laws a few years ago (named the Surly bill at the time) so there are a lot of beer and liquor brewries/distilleries where you can sit down or get takeout as well.
New Mexico–
You can buy liquor, wine and beer at grocery, drug and convenience stores… There are also privately owned liquors stores which sell the same things.
Sunday liquors sales allowed after 12 noon at stores, but you can buy any type of alcoholic beverage for on site consumption all day Sunday (7am to midnight) at restaurants and bars.
New Mexico has very liberal small brewers’ laws. On site brew pubs can make up to 200,000 barrels/year. Breweries that also have a restaurant, manufacturer or off site brewery license have no cap on the amounts of beer and cider they can produce and sell for off site consumption.
We have separate beer & wine licenses and full service liquor licenses for restaurants.
Before the beer & wine license became state law, you were allowed to BYOB beer and wine to restaurants w/out liquor licenses.
The state liquors laws do not apply on any of the 23 Native American reservations. Each tribe is allowed to establish their own laws since they are independent jurisdictions.
When we moved to Maine in 2016, I was surprised by the lenient liquor sales. You can buy hard liquor, beer, and wine in drug stores, gas stations, and supermarkets any day they’re open. Out of state IDs accepted, even if they are for someone who still has the vertical, under-21 license, but has turned 21. (In MA, those weren’t accepted for liquor ID, even for in state people.)
Don’t know about container laws here, but I do know that my husband can deliver growlers of beer, which aren’t sealed with a tamper evident seal, in his business truck or in my car.
I was due to launch a botanical vodka April 1 – we pulled the plug two weeks ago. The plans are on ice (ha) until restaurants reopen and stores are holding tastings. This was in NY. So ask me anything about NY liquor laws!!
NJ seems similar to MD. All beer, wine, and liquor is sold in private liquor stores. There are no state stores. A very few supermarkets sell alcohol; I believe that each chain store gets one or two licenses to sell alcohol, so for instance I think there are two TJs in the entire state which can sell Two Buck Chuck. The rest have no alcohol. Not sold in gas stations, convenience stores, etc.
We can buy anything almost anywhere in IL. That said, our town was dry until the '70s. The big shock for us when we moved here was the alcohol tax. So high!
My current state, KS, changed its laws exactly one year ago. Before 4/2019 grocery stores could sell only 3.2% alcohol (or less) beverages. Everything else was(is) sold in separate liquor stores. The only thing that was changed was that grocery stores can now sell beer up to 6% alcohol. They are supposed to card anyone who appears to be under 40. ( I was 45 when I moved here and have never been carded.) I live near the MO state line where everything is available everywhere. Not much of an issue for me since we rarely drink anyway. I have also lived in Arkansas which has a lot of dry counties.
I grew up in Ohio and remember the beer drive-thrus.
Louisiana - wine, beer, hard liquor can be sold in any food/drug store. CVS has no cigarettes, but has vodka, lol. Grocery stores have everything. There are also specialty wine shops, which are great! Most breweries are only allowed to sell their own product.
Open alcohol is ok, but not in a glass container. There are drive through frozen daiquiri shops (not sure why…), and you’re ok driving away with that as long as you don’t put the straw through the opening in the lid (I guess the cop assumes you had a sip.).
There are some strange zoning things though. Breweries are allowed to have children as guests, indoors and out, but wine bars are absolutely not. Some wine bars let you buy a whole bottle, but they have to open it for you so you can’t buy it as a retail purchase.
I’ve lived in places with stricter laws and with county liquor store that had all the charm of the old Soviet Union and it’s much better leaving Puritanism behind.
But I guess it counts as beer! I’ve seen it in our grocery store, but not at the CVS.