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The US has a wild variety of drink laws that vary by state. Many states have government run stores, some states allow beer and wine at grocery stores, but liqu

The US has a wild variety of drink laws that vary by state. Many states have government run stores, some states allow beer and wine at grocery stores, but liquor must be sold in a separate store. Some states have laws that ban sales after 8pm, some 2am. Utah is the worst because they limit the alcohol percentage in beer (Mormons don't drink and pushed for these laws) so the companies have to make special shittier Utah beers. In some states you're not allowed to see the drink being made (maybe also Utah - can't remember) so they make it out of sight and bring it out. Some counties are dry and you have to drive to the one over (usually lots of stores at the county line). I think some southern states have drive through liquor stores. One reason I was happy to move to California is the lack of these 'blue laws' [0]. California may have a lot of signs warning you that everything causes cancer (and make it really hard to order a new shower head), but their alcohol laws are pretty permissive. I don't know if there are any states that don't have open container laws - which is too bad, drinking PIMs in the park in the UK was great fun, and beers outside talking to people is a nice part of the London pub culture that would go well in American cities. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law

yellowapple 6y ago
> California may have a lot of signs warning you that everything causes cancer, but their alcohol laws are pretty permissive. Bars still close at 2am, though, which is lame.
- fossuser 6y ago
  Yeah true - they've tried to pass a 4am law a couple of times I think, but it's failed. The Svalbard link reminds me of these stories about the volunteer bar in the research base in antarctica: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/on-getting-drunk-in-antarctica/277793/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/on... https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/10/experience-bartender-in-antarctica https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/10/experie...
anonu 6y ago
In south Carolina, right after prohibition up until a few decades ago, you were not allowed to advertise any signs (taller than 3 inches) on a liquor store that indicated you were a liquor store. So they marked themselves with big red circular dots instead (starting around 1940s). The laws have since relaxed but many liquor store still use the red dot and are often referred to as "red dot stores"
limiting_factor 6y ago
>I don't know if there are any states that don't have open container laws Louisiana is one. Most people associate New Orleans with drinking in public, but I believe there's no statewide law against it.
GekkePrutser 6y ago
> I don't know if there are any states that don't have open container laws - which is too bad, drinking PIMs in the park in the UK was great fun, and beers outside talking to people is a nice part of the London pub culture that would go well in American cities That's a big thing in Spain too, they even have a word for it (botellón). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botell%C3%B3n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botell%C3%B3n Here there's a big square where people sit in the sun during the day in small groups and drink.. Nothing wrong with that IMO.

yellowapple 6y ago

> California may have a lot of signs warning you that everything causes cancer, but their alcohol laws are pretty permissive. Bars still close at 2am, though, which is lame.

fossuser 6y ago
Yeah true - they've tried to pass a 4am law a couple of times I think, but it's failed. The Svalbard link reminds me of these stories about the volunteer bar in the research base in antarctica: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/on-getting-drunk-in-antarctica/277793/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/on... https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/10/experience-bartender-in-antarctica https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/10/experie...

anonu 6y ago

In south Carolina, right after prohibition up until a few decades ago, you were not allowed to advertise any signs (taller than 3 inches) on a liquor store that indicated you were a liquor store. So they marked themselves with big red circular dots instead (starting around 1940s). The laws have since relaxed but many liquor store still use the red dot and are often referred to as "red dot stores"

limiting_factor 6y ago

>I don't know if there are any states that don't have open container laws Louisiana is one. Most people associate New Orleans with drinking in public, but I believe there's no statewide law against it.

GekkePrutser 6y ago

> I don't know if there are any states that don't have open container laws - which is too bad, drinking PIMs in the park in the UK was great fun, and beers outside talking to people is a nice part of the London pub culture that would go well in American cities That's a big thing in Spain too, they even have a word for it (botellón). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botell%C3%B3n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botell%C3%B3n Here there's a big square where people sit in the sun during the day in small groups and drink.. Nothing wrong with that IMO.