"Blue Laws". Which state is the strictest?

[JayhawkCO]

My favorite weird liquor laws:

In a Kansas liquor store, prior to 2019, you could ONLY buy liquor, beer, or wine.  Things like sweet & sour, margarita mix, etc. that don't have any alcohol had to be sold in a separate space with a separate entrance and cash register.

Pre-2006, all liquor poured in South Carolina had to be poured from "airplane minis".

In Oklahoma (and I think a few other states too), you cannot purchase cold beer in a liquor store.

Chris

[hbelkins]

As to actual blue laws, which are about forced closing on Sundays, WV used to be by county, but the last county of significance, Mercer, abandoned its blue law in the early 90s.  Most counties gave up in the 60s when the owner of a then prosperous store chain, Heck's, won a case by the owner swearing he was a member of some religion he found in an encyclopedia and celebrated Tuesday as the sabbath, Tuesday being retail's slowest day.

Heck's had a presence in Lexington. I wonder if they played a part in the abolition of Fayette County's Sunday closure ordinance?

I'd say Mercer County retail was getting its clock cleaned by Bluefield, Va. Even now, most of the retail is on the Virginia side of the state line.

As for cocktails to go, I will admit not understanding the reasoning behind that. Alcohol purchased by the drink individually is significantly more expensive than booze purchased in larger quantities. For the price of one beer at a bar, you can get a six-pack at retail. The bar scene, to me, is more about socializing than getting sloshed. Why not buy your own bottle of spirits and make your own mixed drinks at home, instead of paying inflated bar or lounge prices to go?

Kentucky has wet and dry counties, with local option elections being the determining factor, but it's not illegal to possess alcohol in those areas unless you have sufficient quantities to sell without a license (a/k/a bootlegging.) Personal possession and consumption is permitted. But Adam Froehlig (froggie) once said that in Mississippi, where he was stationed during his Naval career, that it's illegal there to even possess alcohol for personal use in dry counties.

Occasionally a list of those weird and oddly-specific laws will circulate online. "In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday," or some such absurdities.

[kphoger]

My favorite weird liquor laws:

In a Kansas liquor store, you can ONLY buy liquor, beer, or wine.  Things like sweet & sour, margarita mix, etc. that don't have any alcohol have to be sold in a separate space with a separate entrance and cash register.

Huh?  The liquor store I go to here in Wichita sells beer, wine, liquor, and tonic water all in the same place, and everything gets rung up together.

[JayhawkCO]

My favorite weird liquor laws:

In a Kansas liquor store, you can ONLY buy liquor, beer, or wine.  Things like sweet & sour, margarita mix, etc. that don't have any alcohol have to be sold in a separate space with a separate entrance and cash register.

Huh?  The liquor store I go to here in Wichita sells beer, wine, liquor, and tonic water all in the same place, and everything gets rung up together.

It was the case at least when I lived there 5 years ago.  They called them "Party Stores".  Could be Johnson County specific?  There's a reason Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix has 1% alcohol in it so that they can sell it in the same place as the vodka.

Edit: Looks like it finally changed in 2019.

Chris

[1995hoo]

....

In Oklahoma (and I think a few other states too), you cannot purchase cold beer in a liquor store.

I can't say I've ever seen any beer (whether cold or warm) sold in a Virginia ABC store. In general, they sell only liquor and mixers, though I believe on rare occasions I've seen Virginia wine in a few ABC stores.

[Scott5114]

"In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday," or some such absurdities.

No, in Alanland, it's mandatory to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday. In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream sundae while walking down the street on a Sunday.

[briantroutman]

In a Kansas liquor store, prior to 2019, you could ONLY buy liquor, beer, or wine.

....

In Oklahoma (and I think a few other states too), you cannot purchase cold beer in a liquor store.

I can't say I've ever seen any beer (whether cold or warm) sold in a Virginia ABC store. In general, they sell only liquor and mixers, though I believe on rare occasions I've seen Virginia wine in a few ABC stores.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stores do sell a relatively small selection of drinking paraphernalia: corkscrews, mixers, margarita salt, bottle-sized gift bags, etc. But the products which can be sold at the state stores must be fairly tightly defined by law, because the 2016 legislation that allowed grocery stores to sell wine also had language granting PLCB stores the right to sell Pennsylvania Lottery tickets.

Since just before the holiday season, I noticed that our neighborhood PLCB store has been selling a number of boxed gift sets–such as a bottle of liquor with a pair of glasses bearing the distiller's insignia. If a jurisdiction did have a "Liquor stores may sell alcohol alone and NOTHING else"  law, I suppose such gift sets would be unsaleable.

In the states where liquor or wine is sold at state-controlled stores, I don't recall ever seeing beer in the product mix.

[OCGuy81]

In a Kansas liquor store, prior to 2019, you could ONLY buy liquor, beer, or wine.

....

In Oklahoma (and I think a few other states too), you cannot purchase cold beer in a liquor store.

I can't say I've ever seen any beer (whether cold or warm) sold in a Virginia ABC store. In general, they sell only liquor and mixers, though I believe on rare occasions I've seen Virginia wine in a few ABC stores.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stores do sell a relatively small selection of drinking paraphernalia: corkscrews, mixers, margarita salt, bottle-sized gift bags, etc. But the products which can be sold at the state stores must be fairly tightly defined by law, because the 2016 legislation that allowed grocery stores to sell wine also had language granting PLCB stores the right to sell Pennsylvania Lottery tickets.

Since just before the holiday season, I noticed that our neighborhood PLCB store has been selling a number of boxed gift sets–such as a bottle of liquor with a pair of glasses bearing the distiller's insignia. If a jurisdiction did have a "Liquor stores may sell alcohol alone and NOTHING else"  law, I suppose such gift sets would be unsaleable.

In the states where liquor or wine is sold at state-controlled stores, I don't recall ever seeing beer in the product mix.

In Oregon, liquor is sold in state run stores, though there's starting to be an increasing number also selling wine and beer.

[kphoger]

"In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday," or some such absurdities.

No, in Alanland, it's mandatory to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday. In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream sundae while walking down the street on a Sunday.

Yep!  It was codified in the so-called "Wednesdae Bans" of 2002¹, which took place in 2001 except for a brief period during 1985.  One quirk of the law as stated is the ambiguity created for days falling on both Wednesday and Sunday, which occurs once every sixth½ week according to the alancalendar² except where permitted by statute.  Such was deftly rectified during the next session, when ambiguity itself was prohibited in toto³, punishable by an unspecified reward or punishment.

[renegade]

"In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday," or some such absurdities.

No, in Alanland, it's mandatory to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday. In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream sundae while walking down the street on a Sunday.

Yep!  It was codified in the so-called "Wednesdae Bans" of 2002¹, which took place in 2001 except for a brief period during 1985.  One quirk of the law as stated is the ambiguity created for days falling on both Wednesday and Sunday, which occurs once every sixth½ week according to the alancalendar² except where permitted by statute.  Such was deftly rectified during the next session, when ambiguity itself was prohibited in toto³, punishable by an unspecified reward or punishment.

You guys sure know how to kill a thread!

[jmacswimmer]

"In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday," or some such absurdities.

No, in Alanland, it's mandatory to eat an ice cream cone while walking down the street on a Wednesday. In Alanland, it's illegal to eat an ice cream sundae while walking down the street on a Sunday.

Yep!  It was codified in the so-called "Wednesdae Bans" of 2002¹, which took place in 2001 except for a brief period during 1985.  One quirk of the law as stated is the ambiguity created for days falling on both Wednesday and Sunday, which occurs once every sixth½ week according to the alancalendar² except where permitted by statute.  Such was deftly rectified during the next session, when ambiguity itself was prohibited in toto³, punishable by an unspecified reward or punishment.

You guys sure know how to kill a thread!

Killed, and revived!

[hbelkins]

Kentucky licenses commercial establishments to sell alcohol (no state ABC stores; I remember seeing "Red Dot" stores all over South Carolina when my family went on vacation there in 1979) and the liquor stores sell beer and wine, although separate licenses are required for each. Pretty much any entity can sell beer. My county went wet a couple of years ago and a grocery store, the Dollar General, and a couple of convenience stores sell beer. A neighboring county went wet and a few "beer only" stores popped up. I think wine is sold under the same license as beer.

[ftballfan]

In Michigan, off-premise sales go from 7am to 2am 7 days a week. In my small town, most (if not all) gas stations sell beer and at least two sell wine and liquor. Until fairly recently, Sunday sales didn't start until noon.

[GaryV]

In Michigan, off-premise sales go from 7am to 2am 7 days a week. In my small town, most (if not all) gas stations sell beer and at least two sell wine and liquor. Until fairly recently, Sunday sales didn't start until noon.

And Christmas started at noon too.

[JayhawkCO]

I forgot another fun one.  My wife and I were flying back from my parents through Dallas and we wanted to get a Bloody Mary on our layover.  It was on a Sunday, so they couldn't serve alcohol before a certain time of the day (noon?) without also ordering food.  We weren't hungry as we had already had breakfast, but conveniently, the bar sold $1 bags of chips that everyone at the bar bought but half didn't even bother eating.

Chris

[US71]

Arkansas has tossed most of their Blue Laws, except selling alcohol on Sunday.

[OCGuy81]

Oregon MIGHT be loosening their restrictions. Last night I saw Fireball for sale at Winco. It was a 12 pack of mini bottles but first time I've seen hard alcohol being sold in a grocery store here.

[Sctvhound]

South Carolina is still very strict about the alcohol. Liquor stores have to close at 7pm, and can't open at all on Sunday.

Only 13 counties of 46 allow Sunday alcohol sales. Other cities have ordinances allowing alcohol to be sold on Sundays, but there are many counties in rural SC where they put rope over the beer and wine aisles in grocery and convenience stores.

Florence County, SC just allowed Sunday alcohol sales in restaurants in 2018. You still can't buy beer in a grocery store on Sunday.

Even in Charleston, IIRC, I remember going to a couple grocery stores in the late 90s and alcohol sales weren't allowed until a certain time on Sunday, if at all.

[Plutonic Panda]

IMO Utah wins hands down. Aren't they still 3.2?

Oklahoma just "modernized"  their laws. They did away with 3.2, sales from 6a-2a, cold beer and wine can be sold anywhere now that sales alcohol, and wine is allowed in grocery stores. They allow to go sales too which I hope stays. You can get it delivered but for some reason Postmates doesn't offer that.

I do wish they would follow Nevada and allow any alcohol to be sold anywhere and 24 hours a day. I think Louisiana does that as well. I'm guessing those are the two most liberal states. I thought California was going to experiment with sales until 4am and eventually 24 hours if it went smoothly but I haven't heard anything else from that.

[US 89]

IMO Utah wins hands down. Aren't they still 3.2?

Nope. That was finally raised to 4% by weight (5% ABV) after the 2019 legislative session.

[Plutonic Panda]

IMO Utah wins hands down. Aren't they still 3.2?

Nope. That was finally raised to 4% by weight (5% ABV) after the 2019 legislative session.

Okay I haven't really paid attention. I usually go to Moab every other month and haven't bothered to look but really have been perplexed at the state own liquor store thing. So I guess there are no further states with 3.2?

[FightingIrish]

IMO Utah wins hands down. Aren't they still 3.2?

Nope. That was finally raised to 4% by weight (5% ABV) after the 2019 legislative session.

Okay I haven't really paid attention. I usually go to Moab every other month and haven't bothered to look but really have been perplexed at the state own liquor store thing. So I guess there are no further states with 3.2?

Does Minnesota still do 3.2 sales in grocery and convenience stores?

[JayhawkCO]

IMO Utah wins hands down. Aren't they still 3.2?

Nope. That was finally raised to 4% by weight (5% ABV) after the 2019 legislative session.

Okay I haven't really paid attention. I usually go to Moab every other month and haven't bothered to look but really have been perplexed at the state own liquor store thing. So I guess there are no further states with 3.2?

Does Minnesota still do 3.2 sales in grocery and convenience stores?

Looks like they are the last one remaining.  Kansas was 2nd to last.

Chris

[jakeroot]

What are the numbers above? (3.2, 4, etc)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

What are the numbers above? (3.2, 4, etc)

Alcohol by volume.