Is your town dry?

[MomofKatie]

We were half and half. We could buy beer and wine at grocery stores, even on Sundays, but there was no alcohol by the drink allowed at the restaurants (obviously, we don't have any bars in the town). The issue was recently voted on, and we now are allowed to buy beer and wine by the drink (but not "hard" liquor, I think). We don't have any liquor stores in our town- all liquor stores are run by the state gov't, and the closest is about 20 minutes away.

 

[redrosesix]

Only on election days until the polls are closed.

I can't imagine any part of Nova Scotia was ever dry -- in fact, this is where the rum runners used to sail out of during prohibition.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I went to college in a town where you couldn't buy alcohol in stores (you could in restaurants). The result was that 1) liquor stores over the line delivered and 2) they didn't card if you were alone with them in your dorm room. I remember once they came to drop off the keg for a dorm party and I was the only one around. I told them specifically that I was underage and couldn't buy, and they said of course I should, just forge someone's name.

 

[Mysteria]

Only on election days until the polls are closed.

I can't imagine any part of Nova Scotia was ever dry -- in fact, this is where the rum runners used to sail out of during prohibition.

lol Well yes that was when everything was dry! Canadians don't like dry. We found away around it.

Switching to modern day be it Canada or the US. Actually I don't think there are any dry places left in Canada. I'm good with that. It's MY choice to drink or not. I can't imagine living in a place that still thinks they can make that decision for an adult. Doesn't that go against the American way?

 

[lulubelle]

We don't even know what "dry" means here in Southern CA. I can buy beer, wine, hard alcohol at all the grocery stores, drug stores, Costco, 7-11, anywhere. And from my travels around this country we have the best prices. Our tobacco, gas, and sales tax is high as is the cost of living, but it's cheap to buy booze! Go figure.

 

[maelstrom]

Nope! We can buy beer and wine at the supermarket and gas stations, and liquor at the liquor store. Beer, wine, and mixed drinks are available at restaurants and bars. And bars are open until 4a!

 

[phragmipedium]

The last town in my state to be dry (a college town even!) overturned it in a 2002 election.

Most liquor stores in my state are not open on Sunday, but alcohol sales are allowed in grocery and convenience stores that day. Hard alcohol is only available in liquor stores in Oregon (at least to my knowledge - pretty sure that's a standard OLCC rule).

 

[TinklednPants]

This town is about as UN-dry as you can find. I love it here.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Here in Alexandria, you can buy alcohol everywhere. No restrictions that I know of. Now we are set to move to FL in a month and that county doesn't sell alcohol on Sundays. The restaurants can't serve on Sundays either. My agent told me that just until a couple of years ago the entire county was dry.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I grew up in Arkansas where I would guess about half the state is dry. There is a sign on I-40 at exit 101 that says last liquor stop for over 100 miles. There are some places that have a private liquor license and now a couple of restaurants where I grew up have them.

I'd never seen liquor sold in a grocery store or walmart until I was well into my 20s.

If you do a search on who owns most of the liquor licenses in the dry counties, most of the licenses are owned by churches.

The college I graduated from was in a dry county but that didn't stop us

When I moved to TN, I could not stop laughing how you could tour the Jack Daniels distillery but couldn't buy any whiskey because it's in a dry county.

Also in TN or at least where I lived, wine and beer and hard liquor could not be sold in the same store and alcohol and cigarettes couldn't be sold in the same store or at least in a liquor store.

 

[aprilgail2]

Phew! Thank goodness thats not true! Our wedding reception would have just been people sitting around staring at each other!

Yea they are boring enough but "dry" weddings are downright painful!

I was staying in Pa with some friends and we were looking to get some beer- we went to some store with a funny name that sort of looked like a 7-11...like wah something or another.......we walked around and aroudn in that store looking for the beer fridge and couldn't find one!! We finally asked where they kept the beer and they said in the "state strore"...we actually had to ddrive to this special place just to buy beer LOL. Another time we were vacationing in NJ on the shore someplace and same thing--no beer in 7/11---had to buy "take out" in the bar!!!

 

[ogreenlee]

I can't imagine sitting on the edge of a beach, with the ocean water washing up, hitting my feet, without a cold beer in hand.

I grew up in SC and they had mini-bottles until just a few years back. I worked on the coast after college, and while they were dry on Sunday, the restaurants would still serve it and pay a fine of $1000 or something like that every week. The restaurant where I worked had three bars and was packed from 10am until midnight. Not hard to make $1000. We'd make that just off drinks by the end of lunch.

Weddings were boring where I grew up. Too many small town southern baptists (no offense) and too many church reception hall receptions.

We had our wedding on a Sunday afternoon, outdoors, and served champagne and wine. Amazingly, I had so many compliments from those who would be too scared to have a wedding on their own terms, b/c of their family's religious stance. It was very classy and lots of fun.

Times are changing in some of the bigger small towns. The real small ones are still holding every baby shower, reception, wedding shower and birthday party in one of the three or four church halls in town. It's nice for those folks, but it's just not my style.

 

[DaParkers]

Yes, prohibition just worked out splendidly the first time around, didn't it?

Why? It doesn't stop alcoholism. If people want something, they will find a way to get it, legal or not. The perfect example of this comes from the state of Alaska. There are over 130 Alaskan villages that are considered "dry" and alcohol abuse in rural Alaska is a huge problem. It's alcohol abuse that is the primary cause of violent crime in rural Alaska. I'm sure other states have the same issues, but I was shocked the first time I heard about the high crime rates in these Alaskan villages and that most of them were alcohol related.

Prohibition? I was speaking on people choosing to drink. I should have said that. My bad. I wish more people chose not to drink. Wouldn't be any drunk drivers. I feel they should be charged with attempted murder and not just ticketed or given probation. But that's another subject. Anyway, I know that a town being "dry" is a legal issue and since this is America, it should be legal to buy alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crack, and everything else. I just wish that people "CHOSE" not to do them.

 

[EthansMom]

Yes, we live in the last dry town in our state... It's a small town with only one or two very small stores but only a 10 minute drive to the nearest town that sells alcohol so it's not a problem at all.

DH is an award-winning homebrewer and is happy to share his beer (free of charge, of course) to anyone that is willing to do some sampling!

So, basically, being a dry town has never affected us at all.

 

[masonjar]

Live in Lynchburg, TN and as a few have already said, our county is dry...it adds to the story. However, you can buy special released and commemorative type bottles here at Jack Daniel Distillery in the Visitor Center. We also have "Good Friday" where the first Friday of the month each employee receives a bottle.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We also have "Good Friday" where the first Friday of the month each employee receives a bottle.

Nice!

 

[lillygator]

thank goodness no!

 

[mikki'smom]

My daughter and her family live in a dry town that is of German descent... Every year about this time they have a very elaborate Oktoberfest....it is probably the only such event in the world that is held without alcohol...it draws quite a crowd and everyone has a great time....

 

[Sleepy]

Nothing dry about anywhere around here. We even have semi trucks that advertise Drive Beer. You have a picture of a racecar driver and his car and of course, the huge bottle of DRIVE BEER! The first time I saw it, I thought it was a joke. Imagine that anyone would associate alcohol with driving.

 

[mill4023]

We were half and half. We could buy beer and wine at grocery stores, even on Sundays, but there was no alcohol by the drink allowed at the restaurants (obviously, we don't have any bars in the town). The issue was recently voted on, and we now are allowed to buy beer and wine by the drink (but not "hard" liquor, I think). We don't have any liquor stores in our town- all liquor stores are run by the state gov't, and the closest is about 20 minutes away.

You must be in Union County. That's where we are also.

I never quite understood the logic of not allowing alcohol to be served in restaurants when you can buy it at the grocery stores. The worst part of living somewhere that doesn't allow beer or wind to be sold in restaurants is that you end up without any good restaurants because alcohol is generally where they make their biggest profits.

Now that the laws have changed, I'm hoping that we'll finally get some decent options for going out to eat without having to drive 30 minutes.

We're in Indian Trail, by the way.