Grocery Vs Liquor Store Beer: What Are The Differences In How They're Sold?

If you have ever gone out to buy some cheap beer from Trader Joe's or another grocery retailer, then passed a liquor store selling similar product, you may have wondered what makes the two different. In many cases, the only real difference is perhaps the price. In other words, in most places, a six-pack of your favorite frosty beer in the grocery store is the exact same product available in the liquor store. However, in certain states around the country, there are slight divergences regarding what kind of beer you can buy in grocery stores — if you can have it at all.

There is no federal standard in the United States dictating alcohol sales in grocery stores. This means that each individual state regulates how booze is sold, like where it can be purchased and how exactly it's taxed. Some states allow businesses to sell alcohol via a drive thru. Others block establishments from charging extra fees for the privilege of purchasing intoxicating drinks, which is why you don't always need a membership to buy beer at Costco. Because of this freedom that states have to manage sales within their respective borders, you might be in one state where you can buy full-strength beer wherever you please, but after crossing into another territory, your options could become quite limited.

While most states allow for some form of beer sales in grocery stores, there are still four that do not. Alaska, Maryland, and Rhode Island all currently have laws forbidding supermarkets from carrying beer. Only appropriately licensed liquor retailers can sell alcohol in those areas, leaving more room in grocery stores for chips and other snacks to go with your brew.

Other states dictate how much alcohol drinks from the supermarket can contain. Until recently, Utah and Colorado grocery stores were allowed to sell suds, but only on the condition that they contained no more than 3.2% alcohol by volume (ABV). If you wanted a sour or a gose beer with a higher ABV, you had to make a separate trip to a liquor store. On the other end of the spectrum, some areas of the country set a limit on how high the ABV in beer can be, which is why Sam Adams' robust Utopias beer is banned in 15 states.

So-called "blue laws" also factor into where and when you can buy a cold one, as they determine what folks are allowed to purchase on Sundays in particular. This means that, in certain regions, citizens are prohibited from buying beer from the liquor store right before the big game. If you want to celebrate your team's win (or sulk about their loss) and you live in Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, or Utah, you may have to remember to grab your drinks from the liquor store the day before or visit the grocery store.