Booze and Traveling the U.S.
06-11-2018
Author: in Education
Before full time RVing, my wife and I lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for 11 years. In Vegas, alcohol is free, as long as you’re sitting in front of a flashy machine. You can buy alcohol from any store, any time of the day, and on any day of the week. You are practically handed a drink on your way out the door of any business.
My wife and I aren’t huge drinkers or even big partiers, for that matter. We were, however, used to being able to get a drink at any time should the desire arise. We were not prepared for the hedge maze that was navigating the various liquor laws from state to state.
Prohibition ended in 1933, but the 21st Amendment left the decision up to the states and territories of those states to decide if they wanted to allow alcohol or not. Some of those places decided to stay dry.
If you are west of Texas or further north of Kansas, chances are you won’t run into any dry counties. The eastern portion of the country is littered with a combination of stringent dry counties and the less stringent “moist” counties.
Since each of these counties decides exactly what they do and don’t sell, it is a good idea to look up the alcohol laws of the location you will be traveling to if you would like to grab a twelve pack when you get there. You may have to drive to a neighboring county to get it.
Schedules
The first time we heard of a schedule, we were in Texas. We were working the night shift at Amazon, so naturally we were shopping at about three in the morning. We dropped a twelve pack in our cart and went to the self-checkout counter. The machine would not let us scan the beer and returned a message that said, “You cannot purchase this item at this time.” It was about then a bewildered clerk came by and informed us that it was not legal to buy booze after midnight.
That was news to us. I looked up the law after leaving the store without the beer. It turns out; there is an alcohol buying schedule. In at least some counties of Texas, you can purchase beer and wine from a store until midnight, unless it’s Saturday which has a cut off time of one in the morning. This schedule is different in a bar where the cut off time is two in the morning. If you aim to get spirits though, you have to purchase those before the liquor stores close at 9 PM. Are you confused yet? I needed a cheat sheet just to figure out if I could buy a Bud Light or not.
Who Can Sell It
In some states, only liquor stores are allowed to sell alcohol. In others, grocery stores can only sell beer but not wine or spirits. In Kansas, stores are only allowed to sell alcoholic beverages below 3% by volume. Major manufacturers like Corona and Budweiser actually make special versions of their drinks that have low alcohol content for those stores. If you want the regular strength, then you have to go to the liquor store across the street.
By far, the oddest law I have encountered has been in Kansas. I learned that liquor stores can only sell liquor and nothing else unless it comes in the package from the manufacturer. In other words, these establishments can sell you a bottle of wine, but it is not legal for them to sell you a wine opener.
Conclusion
If you enjoy having a glass of wine, beer, or spirit after a long day of traveling in your RV, it may be helpful to keep abreast of your location’s liquor laws. Depending upon your destination, it may be wise to stock up on your favorites. You may find some laws aggravating, but sometimes you might be pleasantly surprised. We encountered a dry county that allowed patrons to bring their own alcohol into restaurants, for example.
My wife and I aren’t huge drinkers or even big partiers, for that matter. We were, however, used to being able to get a drink at any time should the desire arise. We were not prepared for the hedge maze that was navigating the various liquor laws from state to state.
Related Read: Road Rules: RV Traffic Laws
Dry CountiesProhibition ended in 1933, but the 21st Amendment left the decision up to the states and territories of those states to decide if they wanted to allow alcohol or not. Some of those places decided to stay dry.
If you are west of Texas or further north of Kansas, chances are you won’t run into any dry counties. The eastern portion of the country is littered with a combination of stringent dry counties and the less stringent “moist” counties.
Since each of these counties decides exactly what they do and don’t sell, it is a good idea to look up the alcohol laws of the location you will be traveling to if you would like to grab a twelve pack when you get there. You may have to drive to a neighboring county to get it.
Schedules
The first time we heard of a schedule, we were in Texas. We were working the night shift at Amazon, so naturally we were shopping at about three in the morning. We dropped a twelve pack in our cart and went to the self-checkout counter. The machine would not let us scan the beer and returned a message that said, “You cannot purchase this item at this time.” It was about then a bewildered clerk came by and informed us that it was not legal to buy booze after midnight.
That was news to us. I looked up the law after leaving the store without the beer. It turns out; there is an alcohol buying schedule. In at least some counties of Texas, you can purchase beer and wine from a store until midnight, unless it’s Saturday which has a cut off time of one in the morning. This schedule is different in a bar where the cut off time is two in the morning. If you aim to get spirits though, you have to purchase those before the liquor stores close at 9 PM. Are you confused yet? I needed a cheat sheet just to figure out if I could buy a Bud Light or not.
Related Read: George Washington’s Favorite Drink
Who Can Sell It
In some states, only liquor stores are allowed to sell alcohol. In others, grocery stores can only sell beer but not wine or spirits. In Kansas, stores are only allowed to sell alcoholic beverages below 3% by volume. Major manufacturers like Corona and Budweiser actually make special versions of their drinks that have low alcohol content for those stores. If you want the regular strength, then you have to go to the liquor store across the street.
By far, the oddest law I have encountered has been in Kansas. I learned that liquor stores can only sell liquor and nothing else unless it comes in the package from the manufacturer. In other words, these establishments can sell you a bottle of wine, but it is not legal for them to sell you a wine opener.
Conclusion
If you enjoy having a glass of wine, beer, or spirit after a long day of traveling in your RV, it may be helpful to keep abreast of your location’s liquor laws. Depending upon your destination, it may be wise to stock up on your favorites. You may find some laws aggravating, but sometimes you might be pleasantly surprised. We encountered a dry county that allowed patrons to bring their own alcohol into restaurants, for example.
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Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
