Washingtonians were
excited last month to finally be able to buy vodka or whiskey at the grocery store.? But that?s nothing compared to some states, where stores can sell booze through a fast-food style drive-through window.
At least 23 states allow drive-up or drive-through liquor sales, according to a 2004 study cited this week in USA Today. As the newspaper reports, ?concern about possible resulting drunken driving crashes and deaths is prompting efforts to outlaw drive-up liquor stores.?
From the story:
In Louisiana, drivers can ?buy ready-to-drink frozen alcoholic drinks ? made with rum, vodka, tequila or other alcohol with concentrations as high as 190-proof ? from their cars without breaking the state?s open container law. A violation only occurs if the driver or a passenger removes the lid on the drink, puts a straw through the lid hole or removes part or all of the contents, state law says.?
The story reports on a fatal drunken driving case in Gregg County, Texas, where, before the crash, the already-drunk driver drove through ?Don?s Fly-Thru Beer Barn? and bought a 30-pack of beer for the second time that day without ever leaving his truck.?
In Washington, the Liquor Control Board prohibits the selling or serving of liquor ?by means of drive-in or by curb service.? So, even after Initiative 1183 abolished state-run liquor stores, none of the new private retailers will feature drive-up windows.
?This rule has been in place for a long time,? Liquor Control Board spokesman Brian Smith said in an email.
?My understanding is that it is because the retail clerk is responsible for not selling liquor to minors or intoxicated patrons.? Having someone sitting in a car outside the window would make it more difficult to tell if the person was drunk,? he said.
Costco: Get ready for booze in the land of bulk and meatball samples. The warehouse giant will stock 70 kinds of spirits and 6 in-house labels, including popular Kirkland Signature vodka. Prices will be cheaper than the state's, with a difference ranging from 10 to 15 percent less to mere pennies, said Costco executive vice-president John McKay.
QFC: What's on your list today? Oh, wait, wrong slogan. Try this: "You know it's going to be good." Come Friday, that water in the background will be replaced with something harder. (seattlepi.com)
Safeway: Might we see a Safeway Select tequila? Don't know yet; this scrim has been hiding spirits at local Safeways for days. (seattlepi.com )
AmazonFresh: Nice. Spirits delivered to your door. If only a bartender came with it. The local groceries deliverer has applied for a spirits license, but it was listed as pending as of Tuesday. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
BevMo!: Thousands of wines, spirits and beers! And half-yard beer glasses you never knew you needed! The exclamation point is part of the name of this California-based liquor superstore, which requested five licenses in Washington, including one in Northgate. Photo: Monica's Dad via Creative Commons Flickr.
Ralph's Grocery & Deli: Booze in Belltown, anyone? This longtime corner grocery is known for its upscale foods and local wines. And giant grape-orange-and-cheese wall art. Photo: Google Street View.
Wine World & Spirits: This locally owned Seattle shop added "& Spirits" to its name, to reflect the 2,000 spirits it plans to stock with its 8,000 wines. It also plans to carry every spirit distilled in Washington. (Nityia Przewlocki / nityia@design.com)
Whole Foods: Will the booze here be organic, sustainable and pricey? Only if it matches the food. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Chew-n-Butts: This Cle Elum smoke shop is nowhere near Seattle, but we had to include it for its no-nonsense name. Maybe it will change it to Chew-n-Butts-n-Booze. (Getty Images)
Cost Plus: Wicker furniture and booze in one stop. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Trader Joe's: This California-based chain has applied for 11 licenses, but a quick check of a Seattle store found no impending sign of liquor - yet. "Vodka of the Gods" is TJ's well-known, in-house brand. Photo: seattlepi.com.
High-end grocery Metropolitan Market has planned a party Thursday night to celebrate its first liquor sales beginning at midnight. (Scott Eklund / Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Ken's QA: A popular Queen Anne store, Ken's QA (also known as Ken's Market) is one of about 130 stores under 10,000 square feet that has applied for a spirits license. These stores are waiting for the state to figure out what "trade area" means before their applications are reviewed. Photo: Google Street View.
Target: What better place to pick up a mop, lamp, towels and bottle of booze. And shampoo, aspirin and ... oh, look! Popcorn! Photo: kevin dooley via Creative Commons Flickr.
Fred Meyer: Will liquor make this store chain truly "one-stop shopping?" Photo: bill_malatinsky. ( )
Walgreens: Perfect for prescriptions and booze. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
Uwajimaya: All your favorite Asian foods and liquor. (Yes, we know this is Chinese, not Japanese, calligraphy; it's from a New Year's event at the store). (KAREN DUCEY / Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Full Throttle Bottles: This specialty beer and wine shop in Georgetown wants to sell spirits, but it's only 2,100 square feet. Small, yes. But think of the power of fancy-pants beer meeting fancy-pants bourbon. Photo: pondskipper via Creative Commons Flickr.
Red Apple (logo via Red Apple Markets site)
Viet Wah will be the place for gailan, durian, pickled fish, giant rice bags and gin. (ChinaFotoPress / Getty Images)
Pete's Super Market: This small Eastlake grocery (7,350 square feet) doesn't look like much. But that's from the outside. Inside, a great wine selection awaits. Photo: Google Street View.
Thriftway (PHIL H. WEBBER / Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Pioneer Square Market: Because Seattle's original downtown needs its own place to buy booze, no? The application for the store - only 7,000 square feet - is on hold, until the state figures out the phrase "trade area." The store is at 109 Occidental Ave S. (Gilbert W. Arias/Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Lower Queen Anne liquor store: Now a moment to observe job losses in a tough economy and 331 shuttered state-run stores, which will all close Thursday night. Many will reopen under private management. But their small size makes survival uncertain. (seattlepi.com)
Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/07/11/are-drive-up-liquor-stores-legal-in-washington/
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