Alabama: Where can you buy liquor?
Alabama's ABC Board runs its own liquor stores and sells liquor at wholesale, and it also licenses private stores to sell liquor.
The state ABC Board runs a chain of retail stores that, by the Board's own account, sell most of the liquor bought in Alabama. Private stores also sell alcohol under Board licenses. Board rules require licensed stores to buy all their spirits from ABC Board wholesale stores and set the state's wholesale markup.
What the law says
The Board operates a chain of retail stores selling the majority of liquor purchased in Alabama. ... The ABC Board also licenses commercial firms to sell alcoholic beverages. [Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-4-.02:] (1) The wholesale price for case lot sales of liquor and fortified wine shall include a markup of 16.99% of the cost plus freight. [Ala. Admin. Code r. 20-X-6-.04:] (4)(a) All purchases by ABC Board retail licensees of any alcoholic beverages containing distilled spirits, except those products defined as table wine in 20-X-2, shall be made only from an ABC Board wholesale store.
Sources
- Alabama ABC Board, About Us Official · alabcboard.gov
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 20-X-4 (Sales by ABC Board Stores) Official · admincode.legislature.state.al.us
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 20-X-6 (Retail licensees) Official · admincode.legislature.state.al.us
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
- Phone
- (334) 271-3840
- Website
- alabcboard.gov
How bordering states compare
- Florida Private licensed storesFlorida licenses private package stores to sell liquor; those stores must sell only alcohol and have no inside connection to other businesses.
- Georgia Private licensed storesGeorgia licenses private retail package liquor stores to sell distilled spirits to consumers; the state does not sell liquor.
- Mississippi State wholesale, private storesMississippi is the only wholesaler of liquor, and privately owned package stores buy from the state and sell to the public.
- Tennessee Private licensed storesTennessee sells liquor through privately owned package stores licensed by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.