I’ve heard that Key West also allows open containers and there is an outdoor square in the little italy section of San Diego that allows it too.
@deb922 , there are a number of wine shops in the Detroit area. If you are on the west side of the state, there may be fewer … that’s the conservative side!
Wisconsin has always been private sales. Local laws can also apply. I remember Sundays when it depended on city/suburb stores for buying before noon on Sundays- but that was many, many decades ago. Some cities have rules about selling all alcohol in grocery stores- there would be a separate attached liquor store. Beer has always been different than other alcohol- major breweries historically and German immigrant influence.
When I was in college the state went from 18 beer only and 21 for other alcohol, then 18 for everything. Vietnam war era led to changes I suspect- drafted at 18… Later all went to 21. Federal funding made changes. I recall when people from Illinois would cross the state line for alcohol.
The UW Union served 3.2 beer at one point- I never have liked beer so wasn’t aware of how things were/changed. There used to be beer bars just off campus that then changed to everything. It must have been tough when the age went from 18 to 21. But it was good for my college freshman 16 year old when no one in the dorms was legal. We could tell he didn’t have a “virgin” liver by how he handled wine at home for holidays.
Now in Florida. Private sales. Stores-grocery, Target require the cashier to input your birth date- looking at your obviously old face and hair isn’t good enough.
Decades ago when I lived in Indiana a few years there were no Sunday sales.
In Florida, beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores, but hard liquor can only be sold in standalone liquor stores (privately owned, not state owned). Therefore, many grocery stores such as Publix and Winn-Dixie operate standalone liquor stores conveniently located right next to their grocery stores!
HI has alcohol sold pretty much most stores—markets, pharmacies, warehouse stores, wine shops, etc. Also sold at stadiums. There are no state liquor stores at all. There is a liquor commission who has to be applied to if one wants to sell alcohol on premises of restaurants or bars. A license is costly and subject to revocation. Places that don’t have a liquor license MAY choose to allow patrons to BYOB and charge a corkage fee. Places with a liquor license may also choose to allow byob and corkage fees.
Most places DO check ID of any purchaser of alcohol. No drinking of alcohol in public premises, including parks (though this is frequently violated as people DO drink beer and other beverages in parks and beaches).
In MA, it varies by town and is very confusing. In my town, the grocery stores don’t carry any alcohol. Next town over two carry beer and wine, one doesn’t. Two towns over, all the grocery stores carry beer and wine. Liquor has to be purchased at a liquor store and in my town that’s also the only place you can buy beer and wine. It’s a real PITA not to be able to grab a bottle of wine while I am doing my regular grocery shopping.
In Texas, you could buy beer and wine at every Target, CVS, Walgreens, gas station etc. None of that here.
@LTmomof2 In addition to having some dry towns, the laws in MA regulate how many stores in a chain are allowed to sell beer and wine. So you get some stores in a chain (say, Whole Foods) selling it and some not. That’s why some chains locate their stores (Whole Foods in Framingham, Market Basket in Burlington, for two) in plazas that have liquor stores in them.
Ahhhh. Thanks @Massmomm. I’ve never lived anywhere where the laws varied like this… note to self, add this to the list of questions for the realtor next time we move. ?
I like the convenience of picking up a bottle wherever I shop, and while I don’t buy that much liquor or wine at Costco, one day I noticed that they have a thick plexiglass locked display of their most expensive bottles of liquor including a bottle of Scotch that cost more than $20,000!
I grew up in Illinois and it seemed as if alcohol was sold everywhere! It was definitely not “dry” where I grew up. When we lived in Colorado in the early 80’s and I couldn’t buy a bottle of wine to take to a friends house because it was Sunday, we were shocked!
Growing up in MA I remember my dad always having to go to the liquor store next to Stop & Shop if he needed anything and if it was Sunday he was out of luck! Lots of MA people would drive to NH if they wanted anything on Sunday but we were pretty far from the border so I think only the teenagers were that desperate.
D19 goes to school in New Orleans. Besides open container being allowed we have found a few other things that were surprising. Our last trip DH went to a little coffee shop each morning while I got ready in the hotel. Every time he would order coffee they would ask what shot he wanted in it -kahlua, Baileys, bourbon… He enjoys a good alcoholic coffee drink once in a while but this was at 9am! Then there was the liquor store near our hotel. They offer a glass of anything they sell but you have to drink it outside, they will just open bottle of something and pour you a glass to drink on the street. 
Did anyone weigh in yet from Texas? They still have dry counties.
@Fallgirl Evanston was dry until 1972 and then all kinds of restrictions afterwards. One of our local breweries is now called Temperance ; )
@MomofJandL
We lived in an Austin suburb and you could buy beer and wine anywhere. Grocery store, liquor store, Target, CVS, Walgreens, gas stations. Only thing you couldn’t buy readily was hard liquor. But our town had a ton of liquor stores considering the size of the local population.
Yes, here in Texas there are stil dry counties. Within a county a town can set more restrictive laws by voter choice. Some Dallas suburbs allow liquor stores, some do not. Beer and wine in grocery stores, drug stores, convince stores. Liquor stores can sell wine and beer (and food) but most concentrate on liquor.
ETA and all liquor stores are closed all day Sunday
In Texas you can buy beer and wine on Sundays in grocery stores and convenience strores, (but liquor stores are closed all day), but not until noon.
I’m not really that up to date on the laws in Alabama since I haven’t drank in about 20 years. Our county was dry when I was growing up but the county seat went wet a few years ago, my town is still dry. A nearby town in Mississippi went wet just in the last few years, so that is the closest place for someone to buy alcohol. I know alcohol sales weren’t allowed on Sunday when I was growing up, not sure how things stand now. Most businesses around here weren’t even open on Sunday until a few years ago, some still aren’t. I have seen beer and wine in grocery stores, never have seen liquor though except in a liquor store. Well, except for bootleggers which is where most people bought alcohol when I was in high school.
There are a couple of dry towns in New Jersey. Ocean Grove and Ocean City come to mind. Both were originally Methodist Campgrounds. OG still is in many ways, but OC is more like a small city and it’s surprising it has kept it up.
Wellesley College is in a dry county.
Now that the grocery has senior hours, I find that Missouri does not allow alcohol sales before 9am on Sunday.