Alcohol rules in Alabama/Birmingham? (Huntsville, Albertville: sales, how much, home)

[Socal2Bham]

In the Birmingha area, you can't purchase any liquor in regular grocery stores, some counties you can't buy it all, some you can't on Sunday, others you can on Sunday but not until after noon. You can go out and order a drink on Sunday, correct?

I am curious, is it like this in all of Alabama? How are these particular restrictions mandated? Will it always be this way?

I would have to say this is probably the only thing that irritates me about living in Alabama since I am not used to such restrictions.

[Threestep]

Shop during the week:>)

Hard liquor is sold in so called package stores. Most are fairly well stocked. Prices in LA seem to be lower.

You have so-called dry counties where the population voted against the sale of alcohol and you find those all over the US.

Beer/wine sales on Sunday again depend on the county. There are enough grocery stores in Jefferson County to pickle a party:>)

[Keeper]

But you can have a dry county and a 'wet' city within that county. Go figure..

Marshall county is a dry county but Guntersville, Albertville and Boaz are wet cities within the county.

[Threestep]

Keeper - you forgot legal shine:>)

[Keeper]

I have heard about the guy who lives somewhere here in Arab who sells moonshine!!! Someone said he does a rather brisk business..

It will be another 2 years before we can vote again for the sale of alcohol, so it is down the mountain we go..

[Socal2Bham]

So a county's "wet" or "dry" status is contingent on a public vote? If it's by county then how do you get a wet city in a dry county?

But even in the "wet" counties, the Sunday rule applies to ALL of Alabama, yes?

What's even stranger is Cullman is a "dry" county; however I know many Smith Lake residents that are BIG drinkers who will vote against allowing alcohol??

I know, the easy answer to those who are used to it would be to just plan ahead but when you're not used to it and you are an impulse shopper like me it's a pain. Twice now I wanted to have Mimosas with my brunch on Sunday and forgot about the "not before noon" rule and the clerk took my champain away. *sob
Are those ABC stores the only place to buy liquor in Birmingham? Goes to show how much liquor I've purchased since I moved here if I don't even know were to buy it!

I suppose it's also the principle of it all too that bothers me, but this isn't a political forum so I won't go into all that.

[Southlander]

*A city within a dry county can "go wet" by voting to do so. Once you're wet, you're "totally wet" - liquor, wine AND beer. If the entire county votes to go wet, every city in it is wet, too.
*Package liquor is only sold by state-owned ABC stores and some small package stores...the package store price is the cost you'd pay in the state store PLUS the package store markup.
*Wine and beer may be sold in grocery & convenience stores.
*Very few counties allow wine/beer/liquor sales on Sunday. Some only by the drink...some only by package...some both. Generally it's the tourism areas and biggest cities.
*Cities may set their own rules, to some extent. They may set serving/selling times.
*Socal, be sure of the county you're in...Jefferson may have one rule, but Shelby another...Blount is dry, I think...
*Don't worry, you'll get used to it! I usually keep a bottle of champagne in the pantry, along with a few cans of beer, a bottle of red and a bottle of white.

[Eeyore]

I live in Jefferson County, but in the city of Trussville. Jefferson counties alcohol laws are necessarily lax, being that it is home of the largest city. However Trussvilles laws have been notoriously stricter. FINALLY, the city learned that it was hurting the growth of the city (which was actually preferable to many residents). But it did hurt revenue. So the laws have gotten more and more lax. THANK GOODNESS.

Even tho technically Trussville was "wet" the laws governing the sale of alcohol were very restrictive. i.e. Not within so many hundred yards of a church or school, etc. (there's a church on every corner here.)

Most everyone I know doesn't have a problem with drinking alcohol. I think it is concern over teenage drinking mostly. As well as possibly church influence.....which I think is rediculous. but as someone said, this is not a political forum lol

At any rate, things seem to be improving for those of us who enjoy a little alcohol.

eeyore

[Socal2Bham]

Great info. Thanks for the clarifications.

What is a package store? Is this different from the state-owned ABC stores? The only ABC store I know of is in the Lakeview area.

Any idea what the reason is for all of it (liquor, beer & wine) not being available in a grocery store? Is this so the state can mark it up and get a profit? I thought tax on alcohol sales went to the state anyway?

I am in unicorporated Jefferson county but close to the Shelby county line although I'm not sure where that line is exactly. I know the Target on 280 ropes off their alcohol isle on Sunday so I'm guessing that is Shelby county turf.

Guess I need to register to vote here, althought they'll probably make me get an AL drivers license to do that.

[Keeper]

I know there are 'state stores' in Guntersville but there are also other beverage stores in Guntersville where you can buy liquor, beer and wine. Back in the stone age it use to be you could only buy liquor in the 'state' stores.. No other store was allowed to sell alcohol.
It is weird in this area too.. You can buy Beer and wine in Huntsville (madison county) on Sunday but not in Marshall county.