OMG I JUST found out something MONUMENTAL!!! Beer and wine!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

BEER AND WINE!

Oh geez, I'm so excited I can't type!

Back in September,we had a little election on ONE issue--should we allow beer and wine sales in my city? As it was, you had to drive to FORT FUCKING WORTH to get WINE. You could only get beer or wine coolers if you went to the next city over but for wine or hard stuff you had to go all the way to Ft. Worth.

So. It passed 92% to 8%. So much for this being the Bible Belt, eh?

I totally forgot about it and my husband just called me and said "You aren't going to believe this.....ALBERTSON'S HAS A WINE AISLE."

OMG an ENTIRE AISLE dedicated to wine and one aisle only for beer (we get less excited about the beer part).

I am hyperventilating. This must be sort of what it feels like to live somewhere normal. And I JUST GOT PAID!

Guess where Moonbeam's going on the way home? Guess.

Oh geez, in the past, if you were going to Big Daddy's or Applejack's (the two biggest liquor stores on our side of Ft. Worth) you would ACTUALLY go to your neighbors or CALL THEM and say "hey I'm going to Big Daddy's you need anything?" and even if you didn't have a pressing need, you whipped out your wallet, gave them cash and a list because it was such a pain in the ass to go get liquor and shit.

I'm panting. Wine. Wine five blocks from me. Whatever am I going to do?

To add: Mr. Moonbeam is still pissed. He only drinks the occasional Crown Royal and soda. So this does him no good.

[billyskank]

1. Whatever are you going to do?

You're going to get drunk, aren't you?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

2. HELLS YEAH BEE-OTCH!

I haven't had any alcohol in probably three or four months. Yep, not touched a drop since before the election.

I think I'm rather DUE, don't you?

[skygazer]

3. Ain't life grand?

I was stunned this past summer when I drove home to CA from VT and I stopped for dinner at a restaurant in texas somewhere. I was perishing for a margarita and was told I had to fill out some kind of membership thingy dingy in order to buy alcohol. Very strange to me - here in my neck of the woods, every store sells tons of booze. All the time (except between 2 am and 6 am), even on Sunday.

I still don't understand what it was I was filling out for a drink - I was suffering severely from alcohol deprivation after driving for about 14 hours straight (pun intended).

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

15. yeah it was a "membership card"

in some counties in TX you have to do that before you can even get a drink in a restaurant. In my county you don't have to do that. You can just order yourself a watered-down rita.

But in Garland and Richardson, for example, a different part of Dallas County,you have to fill out those thingies.

When I am confronted with that, I just go to another restaurant down the road a ways so I don't have to fill it out.

[Kber]

44. I tried ordering a cosmopolitan in Salt Lake City

and it was awful!!! Local law mandates strict alcohol limits in each drink. I could, however, order two cosmos. After some negotiating with the bartender (who haled from Chicago btw) I convinced him to make me two cosmos, but in one glass and cut the cranberry juice in half. Thank goodness I was still sober enough to figure that one out!

[fudge stripe cookays]

31. It's leftover from prohibition.

When prohibition ended, Texas left it up to individual counties to decide if they wanted to go back to serving liquor or not.

Some counties said "hell yeah.." Others decided it was either too unChristian or too much hassle. So they stayed dry.

And the areas have come down to us as "dry" areas. In the "wet" ones, you can buy beer, wine AND hard liquor. In "most" ones, you can buy beer and wine.

And it's not just by county anymore. Now, certain blocks are dry, and you drive over a couple and there's a bunch of liquor stores.

I think it's mostly North Texas. When I grew up in Austin, we didn't have this problem that I remember.

FSC

[JVS]

4. Alcoholic beverages in grocery stores suck

In PA we have to buy at beer stores and it is better that way because we get lower prices and better selection.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

8. Heh.

One thing at a time. It's frigging amazing to even be able to BUY some beer or a bottle of wine around here.

The really ironic thing is you can get a mixed drink with hard liquor in restaurants in this town, but you couldn't buy a frigging bottle of wine in the store just down the street from the restaurant.

The mayor sold it to the people for economic reasons ("we're losing money to the city next door!") but we all know he just wanted to get his dranky-drank on.

[dr.strangelove]

11. Depends on where you are

In New York, the grocery by me specializes in micro brews. I get great micros from all over the country. They carry the usual national and import brands, but the oregon and washington micros are the best.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

13. Are you bragging?

;)

[JVS]

14. Sounds expensive

I can get good deals on beers from all over the world.

[RebelOne]

22. I get great deals on alcohol.

There are three big liquor warehouses near my house. The prices are quite a bit less than what you would pay in a small liquor store. I only buy wine and the difference in price is about $2 to $3.

[Selwynn]

16. This very much depends -

There is one alberton's here in Idaho, that for some reason, has about four isles devoted to wine - some of the best imported wines I've seen/had.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

24. Yep

I was in Wyoming this summer and at an Albertson's in Jackson Hole there was an ENTIRE liquor store attached to it. It said "Alberston's THE LIQUOR STORE" and we doubled over with laughter and delight.

It's like we were let out of prison or something. We just looked around with our mouths hanging open. It seemed surreal.

Hardest thing you could buy till now in my Albertsons was cough syrup.

[rwork]

34. We went to Iowa

last year and discovered Keg and Barrel. Box of wine for $7.95. We loaded up.Good funny post.

[Patiod]

47. Hahahahahaha!!!!

JVS - you are SO funny!!!

Who wouldn't want to live in a state where there are liquor/wine stores, beer stores, and then, off to the supermarket for food!

:toast:

[sbj405]

51. But only you're 2 six packs. Of course you can put them in the car

and then buy another two :eyes: I went to grad school in PA - very frustrating. Actually, I just went there a few months ago and was astonished that a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada was $9! College Town prices.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. First fundie I see in the store

bitching about it, I'm gonna tell them "JESUS drank wine! And I bet he didn't have to go all the way to Fort Frigging Worth to get it, either!"

[JVS]

9. He made it himself, follow His example!

:-)

[slestak]

6. Move to New Mexico

We can buy hard liquor in the grocery store. Heck, we can buy it in most convenience stores. Plus, the weather's nicer.

Is it any wonder we're #1 nationally in drunk driving? GO NEW MEXICO!!!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

12. I came through your state this summer

and I was AMAZED. There I was, looking at the produce, and I see a big ol' display of Wild Turkey right next to the bananas. It was a VERY weird moment, then I got really jealous.

"What's THIS SHIT? We don't got NONE of this!"

[spatlese]

7. Are you in Tyler? n/t

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

10. Nope, way off

I'm in a burb of Dallas. We could go to Dallas for the liquor, but I'm so burned out on Big D. I like Ft. Worth better.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. Too funny..Misunderestimator is out your way today

Visiting her dad...

Shit..we can buy marijuana in our grocery stores

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

19. WHAT???????????????????????????

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT?

WHAT the HELL is that about?

That just SUCKS.

Seriously, it sucks. I'm over here in the year 1912, all excited about freaking WINE and you can buy marijuana in your grocery store?

Where the hell do you live? Holland?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

27. I was just pulling your leg

but we have had liquor for about a million years...one ounce or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor..and one can legally smoke or grow it if they have a medical marijuana card...no kidding..promise

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

30. Oh geez

I really thought you were serious. See, another DUer taking advantage of the sweet naivete of a Southerner, eh?

;)

What's misunderestimator doing out here?

Not drinking, I guess.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. Visiting her father..he's out in the Dallas burbs too

and she just called..had wine on the plane :D

[fudge stripe cookays]

35. Which burb NSMA?

We're in Rowlett.

FSC

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

40. Not a burb, actually..a little town called Midlosian

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

41. Midlothian?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

45. I guess..near Waxahachee? (sp?)

[fudge stripe cookays]

48. Yep, that's the place.

SW of Dallas.

It's actually "Waxahachie." :-) I have a friend who lived in Midlothian. Haven't spoken to her in years though.

Never been to Midlothian, but Waxahachie has some pretty architecture and some nifty stores on the square.

FSC

[gtp1976]

18. Sunday Sales

I'm so glad I live in a college town. I can buy anything I want here. The only thing that irks me is the city ordinance that bans all alcohol sales on Sunday. If religion and politics aren't supposed to mix then give me one logical reason why you shouldn't be allowed to buy beer on Sunday.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

21. You must live in the south

Blue Laws suck.

[gtp1976]

36. Sort of

I suppose Kentucky is considered the South. Kentucky is actually about 4 states in 1. Northern KY is a lot like Indiana and Ohio, Southern and Southeastern KY gives us our stereotype. Western KY is a lot like Missouri and around Lexington, it's a combination of all of the above.

[Philostopher]

38. I live in the south

western part of Ohio, and we have Blue Laws here about Sundays, too. You can't buy beer or wine until 1:00 p.m., and no package liquor sales at all on Sundays. All the package liquor is sold at 'state stores' (same with South Carolina, IIRC), which don't open on Sunday.

Well, except you can get Schnapps and watered-down vodka and fake whiskey at Kroger, but nothing over 21% alcohol. We have the most byzantine 'sin economy' of any state I ever saw.

And yet you can buy beer at a freakin' gas station or drive-thru in both Ohio and Kentucky. I understand parts of Texas also have drive-thru beer stores/liquor stores. I remember somebody flaking out over the fact that you could do that, but I seem to recall you could buy beer at a gas station/convenience store in South Carolina, too.

So you can't have beer before one o'clock on a Sunday, but any other hour of any other day you can grab a beer, gas up your car, and drink behind the wheel. Oh, it's illegal, don't get me wrong, we have open container laws ... but how dumb is that?

[gtp1976]

39. Jefferson County, KY

aka Louisville has no such restriction. Sunday sales allowed.
In Lexington, you can buy a drink in a restaurant on Sunday, but not in a store.
And everywhere 25 miles south of Lexington is completely dry 7 days a week.
It's crazy.

[Philostopher]

43. You can order drinks on Sunday,

any kind, you just can't buy package liquor. Not sure if you can order liquor or 'softer' beverages before one on Sunday, I never tried!

I think Ohio's blue laws cover the whole state the same, the only difference being some individual townships are 'dry' -- no liquor, beer or wine sales at all. It's not county by county, here -- it's townships. I lived in a 'wet' township, next door to a 'dry' township. The number of drunk driving accidents on the main road between the town where I grew up and the township over was shameful.

[Lex]

20. The 2004 Beaujolais Nouveau was released yesterday.

.
You should pick up a bottle of that.

It is a once a year occurence: http://www.intowine.com/beaujolais2.html

Read about the 2004 grapes here:
http://www.intowine.com/dbvintage04.html


Happy Wine and Beer!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

25. Writing it down on a post it note

thank you!!!

[Lex]

29. It's the 1st wine of the year's harvest--meant to be consumed immediately!

Or at least within a few weeks of purchase. It is usually not very expensive either, but yummy nonetheless!

Enjoy!

(PS--several labels, including Duboeuf, release a beaujolais nouveau wine, but all the labels are usually very similar since the wine is a young wine.)

[Left Is Write]

23. Well, this is good, but...

I have never HEARD of beer or wine (or liquor) for that matter NOT being readily available.

Okay, okay. I guess I've heard of dry towns and dry counties, but to know they really exist....?

:)

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

26. Yep

they exist all over down here.

I've never heard of wine or beer or liquor BEING readily available. Seriously. I grew up in a different burb of Dallas and even the restaurants didn't serve it. It's wicked and evil, you know. Satan makes liquor, you know.

;)

[Left Is Write]

28. If Satan makes liquor, I'm in big trouble.

:)

[fudge stripe cookays]

32. Pretty cool eh?

We just had the same election a few months ago, and we got ours at the Tom Thumb back around September.

Al and I were so thrilled we could barely speak! BOOZE! Around the corner from our house! WOO HOOO!!!!!!!!!!

My congratulations on again entering the 21st century!
FSC

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

37. I know right?

Wheee! Let's high five! We're in the 20th century now! (I don't think we can say Texas has joined the 21st century yet, can you?)

We rock! Going to buy wine now!

[Shakespeare]

42. Moonbeam, you've GOTTA come visit California!

Especially northern California. Girl, have we got wine here. You can even go taste it for free!!! (unless you're in snobby old Napa, where they'll usually ask you to pay for a tasting).

And NSMA is right about the medical marijuana. We don't have pot in the grocery stores, but we have places that are basically pot grocery stores! :evilgrin:

[TheMightyFavog]

46. I can only think of one dry town in WI...

Ephraim, in Door County.

The upscale restauraunts popping up keep bitching at the local government to go wet, but Ephraim, which was founded by Bible-thumpers in the 1800's want to keep the town dry to "maintain a family-friendly image".

Still what sucks is we can't buy alcohol at a store after 9 PM here in Stevens Point.

[sbj405]

49. My county doesn't allow the sale of hard liquor on Sunday

As result, many shops don't bother to open. Totally pain in the ass when you want to run out and grab some beer before a football game or a bottle of wine for dinner.

[CornField]

50. Do y'all still have the wet/dry county thing going?

I remember when we had to make our dinner reservations based on if we wanted a drink or not.

[GOPisEvil]

52. What do ALL supermarkets in Texas do at noon on Sundays*?

They return all the beer and wine back to the beer and wine aisle. Pity the poor folks who forget that you can't buy alchohol before noon on Sunday.

* dry counties/cities/areas excluded