Sales of bourbon...

[boone]

Sale of bourbon on Sunday is not allowed in Bardstown...Although state law allows it, a local ordnance prohibits the sale of bourbon on Sunday...

This will change very soon :grin:

Here's the link from the Kentucky Standard, my homeplace newspaper.

http://www.kystandard.com/articles/2007/03/30/news/local_news/news02.txt

Bettye Jo

[ThomasH]

I think it is a joke that hard liquor sales are prohibited on Sunday in many places. It is basically favoring sales of beer and wine over hard liquor. I have seen many times where religious groups oppose sunday sales of alcohol. After our church lets out on Sundays, you would be suprised how many members you see at places like TGIFridays, Appleby's etc. I'm glad to see they are giving whiskey equal billing in this case, although they should let the the stores sell on sunday also!

Thomas

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Here in Sweden this particular problem never arises, simply because all hard liquor is sold through state-controlled outlets and they´re all closed on Sundays.

Our government cares for us. Heartwarming, isn´t it?

[TNbourbon]

I think it is a joke that hard liquor sales are prohibited on Sunday in many places...

Well, honestly, it's mostly a matter of acclimation and habit, and not that big a deal. Since Tennessee has NEVER allowed Sunday liquor sales, folks are inured to buying on Saturday anything they need for Sunday. It's mostly newcomers (and there ARE a lot of those these days) who grumble about it, because they have to remember to change a habit.

And, from the retail point of view -- and liquor stores are privately-owned here, so employees are not government employees -- it's not necessarily a bad thing to be forced to take a day off once a week. It reduces costs, because that's a day the store doesn't have to pay staff. Sunday sales briefly came up in the Tennessee legislature just last month, and the response from retailers was mostly negative. It died without a second in committee.

In any case, with nary a Sunday purchase in-state, I've managed to pluck quite a few bottles off of Tennessee store shelves, and am in no danger of running out of adult beverages.

[ThomasH]

Well, honestly, it's mostly a matter of acclimation and habit, and not that big a deal. Since Tennessee has NEVER allowed Sunday liquor sales, folks are inured to buying on Saturday anything they need for Sunday. It's mostly newcomers (and there ARE a lot of those these days) who grumble about it, because they have to remember to change a habit.

And, from the retail point of view -- and liquor stores are privately-owned here, so employees are not government employees -- it's not necessarily a bad thing to be forced to take a day off once a week. It reduces costs, because that's a day the store doesn't have to pay staff. Sunday sales briefly came up in the Tennessee legislature just last month, and the response from retailers was mostly negative. It died without a second in committee.

In any case, with nary a Sunday purchase in-state, I've managed to pluck quite a few bottles off of Tennessee store shelves, and am in no danger of running out of adult beverages.

I can totally understand Tim's point. Liquor stores in Ohio have always been closed on Sundays. In Ohio, you have to have a special permit to sell mixed drinks on Sunday and a fair amount of bars and restaurants can sell beer and wine but no hard liquor. Problems arise when the holidays such as Christmas and New Years fall on a Monday. Most people are not like those of us on SB.com that have an ample supply on hand all the time. Most only buy bottles when they are out of something. Every time the holidays are on Monday's, the store sales take a big drop because of the Sunday closure. On those same sundays, you can buy all the beer and wine you want at the local grocery store after 1PM. Our local owner would love to be open sunday's as he would do a big business, since he is the only liquor store in our town!

Thomas

[RoyalWater]

My understanding of Ohio Sunday liquor sales is that municipalities are allowed a great deal of home rule. For example, one market was able to place a referendum on the local ballot and obtain a municipal exemption to the Sunday spirits rules; it is the only market in the county with such a priviledge. In Toledo, most of the bars serve whatever you are able to pay for on Sunday. Again, many liquor stores in Lucas County feature Sunday spirits sales. I find it absurd that liquor would be perceived as more dangerous than wine or beer and thus off limits for one day. Furthermore, why should that one day not be Friday or Monday? I am a church-going man and I find these policies inconsistent and silly; I am equally able to control my alcohol consumption any day of the week and equally willing to enjoy a sip of beer, wine, or liquor any day of the week.

[TNbourbon]

As if on cue, the Tennessean newspaper ran this story this morning:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/NEWS0201/704020364

A few things to note:

• In the section subtitled "Merchants Want Change", the writer quotes a grocer (who wants to stock wines) and a liquor retailer who came here from California. In other words, folks who are 'outsiders' to the Tennessee retail liquor business; the retailer in East Tennessee quoted later pretty much put forward the same points I put forward a few posts earlier in this thread -- locals just buy their Sunday liquor on Saturdays, and forgive the store staff its day off;
  
• the liquor industry (read that, distributors' lobby) had contributed over $1 million to state politicians over the last decade. Long-time liquor lobbyist Tommy Henslee is known is long known as "The Golden Goose" on Capitol Hill. No Tennessee lobbyist is better funded;
  
• Not stated in the story, but important to understand, too, is that the state's largest beer distributor is a former governor. Combine that with liquor distributors' effective lobbying, and you understand why wine/liquor and beer are not likely to compete for shelf space in the same store in Tennessee anytime soon.
  

[cowdery]

In principle, the biggest problem with Sunday Prohibition is the church-state issue. I know of no state that prohibits alcohol sales on Tuesday. Most state "blue laws" fell in the 1960s (these were laws that prohibited most businesses from operating on Sunday), but due to the peculiar nature of alcohol regulation, those have hung on.

In practice, for off-premise retailers it's probably not such a terrible thing, for all the reasons Tim mentioned. For on-premise, it's a major economic hardship, especially in border areas where diners can easily go to the adjoining state for a drink.

When I lived in Louisville, 20 years ago, Kentucky had total Sunday Prohibition and there were a number of restaurants in southern Indiana that made their living off of Sunday night business.

[doubleblank]

On Sundays in Texas........

Liquor stores are closed.

Other stores can sell beer and wine after noon.

A restaraunt can sell you a drink with food at 11:30am. Otherwise, 12 noon.

Bars may open at 11am, sell drinks with food as of 11:30am and no restrictions on the bar after noon......hard liquor, beer and wine.

[TNbourbon]

The Tennessean story addresses retail bottle (off-premise) sales. Liquor by the drink is available after noon (10 a.m. in Nashville since the Titans started playing noon games) Sunday where approved, in general (many smaller towns and cities still don't allow on-premise sales, just as more than half of Tennessee counties are dry, retail-wise).

[cowdery]

Here in civilization, hours of service are as follows:

Opening hours:

Legal opening time for all liquor establishments is 7:00 a.m. Monday - Saturday and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Restaurants can begin selling liquor at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

In 2006, an exception was made for Christmas Eve Sunday and New Years Eve Sunday, allowing businesses that sell packaged goods liquor to begin selling at 8 a.m. on Sunday, December 24, and Sunday, December 31)

Closing hours:

Legal closing time for standard liquor licenses is 2:00 a.m. Monday - Saturday and 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. Establishments with a Late Hour liquor license are allowed to remain open until 4:00 a.m. - Saturday, and 5:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Therefore, excepting in years when Christmas Eve and New Years Eve fall on Sunday, there is no alcohol sold legally on Sunday anywhere in Chicago from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

That seems like time enough for the Lord.

[TBoner]

My real problem with no Sunday bourbon sales is this: one weekend day ain't near enough for dusty-bottle hunting....

And there's no smiling emoticon here because I'm not kidding...

Well, maybe a little I am. But really, it's hard to get anywhere except the very closest liquor stores (which, thanks to TX's many other alcohol restrictions, are at least 10 miles away for me) except on weekends. If what I want can't be had cheaply and close to home, I better clear my schedule for Saturday.

[ILLfarmboy]

Except for a smattering of dry towns. Where I live Sunday sales begin 11:00 AM or 12 noon depending on local ordinance. (anything from near beer to Everclear 190) A small inconvenience, but still!

Do religious community leaders think I'm gonna attend Sunday services with a snoot-full If Sunday morning sales aren't illegal?