I was watching "The Next Food Network Star" last evening. There was something said about no alcohol being sold in New York grocery stores. Really? Why? Does that extend to beer and wine as well?

You can get beer in a grocery store, but that's it. For some reason, NY has this weird law that you can either have a license to sell beer or a license to sell wine/liquor - but not both. How weird is that! Also, liquor stores weren't allowed to be open on Sundays until very recently.

in maryland and pennsylvania you have to go to a package good stores (liquor store) for beer wine or alcohol. NONE is sold anywhere but a store specific to alcohol and they are not open on sunday.

I don't know for sure about NY, but in my state, you have to go specifically to a liquor store to buy any alcohol except for 3.2 beer (which is weak beer, I guess). You can't buy alcohol on Sundays, and the liquor stores are only open from like 9am-9pm.

Utah is the same way--only beer is sold in grocery stores. Anything else is sold in a state-run liquor store and those stores are closed Sundays and holidays.

My sister lives in Texas and there are some counties that are "dry" so you can't get anything anywhere--you have to go to the next county.

I sure like living in California better!

I grew up in California and I always associated liquor stores for alcoholics and bums. When I moved away from California, I was amazed "normal" people went into liquor stores.

I think California may be one of the few states that sells all sorts of liquor in their grocery stores.

Maryland has wine and beer in grocery stores but I don't know if there is a percentage restriction. In Colorado, only low percentage alcohol beer can be sold in grocery stores.

Really which stores? I'd like to see them. I know Sutton Gourmet in Baltimore when they were open had wine but they also had a liquor license....

Never seen it at say Giant or Shoppers... or Mars or Super Fresh.....

even Trader Joes here can't sell their own house wines...

Alaska sells no alcohol in the grocery store, though there are usually liquor stores adjacent to the grocery (i.e. in the same building). THere are also liquor stores not associated with grocery stores. In Costco (and probably Sam's CLub, but I don't go there) the liquor is in a fenced off section of the store, and you have to check out there. I much prefer buying wine in the grocery store, but, well, it's not worth moving for!

I go to Magruder's and they have an entire aisle dedicated to wine and they also have beer.

I don't really notice alcohol much because I don't drink anymore but their beer seems to always be in my way.

Never heard of them. must be local to your part of town.

Well, in Ontario, wine, alcohol and beer are sold only in licenced stores - LCBO or Liquor Control Board of Ontario. A very few stores in small communities have sections that sell booze and it's very controlled. I prefer Quebec where you can pick up a bottle of wine in the local depanneur.

http://www.magruders.com

They have some really good prices, looks like they only have stores in MD/VA part of DC metro. I don't shop any other stores really except maybe Trader Joe's and Whole foods.

Giant is too expensive.

Actually, in Maryland (at least in Baltimore City) you can go to the Rite-Aid drug store for beer, wine, and liquor (except on Sundays). I don't have a car, so I have to go there (only place within walking distance), especially since the nearest liquor store is really scary.

that's freaky cause i've never seen it in the county....

Many states are the same. WV and NH both have state sanctioned liquor stores. Maybe in some way it DOES regulate the sales some, but I believe its more for the states to get their hands into the profits. Hard to tell. Beer and wine are sold in regular stores and gas stations. Its just hard liquor you have to go to a state store for.