Talk:Alcoholic beverage control state

Rationale
This article would be better if someone could explain why these states approach the issue in such a way. I mean, I understand that doing so allows them to control sales and taxes, but there are other ways to do that-- all states control alcohol in some way. So, if someone knowledgeable reads this, consider editing the article in such a way. User:Havardj — Preceding undated comment added 20:42, 2 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I added one such reason taken from another article about the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control &mdash; Chidom   talk   09:40, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Rename / move
When referencing this page's previous name in the singular, an incredibly long piped link was required which forced repetition of the link name: alcoholic beverage control state. Now the singular is the name of the page and a reference to the plural can be created by adding an "s" outside the link: Alcoholic beverage control state s. &mdash; Chidom   talk   08:25, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Inaccurate information
Ohio is not an alchohol control state as presented in this article. It is even more liberal than New York state which is not listed. In New York spirits must be carried in liqour stores and may not be sold in pharmacies or other "convenience stores". However, in Ohio even pharmacy chains such as CVS carry "hard liquor" such a vodka on open shelves like the rest of the products. Vassyana 18:22, 30 August 2006 (UTC)


 * With all due respect, the above comment is not correct. When you visit an "ordinary" permit holder, like the CVS store in the comment, you should pick up a bottle of the vodka to which you refer.  When you read the label, you will notice that the alcohol content is less than 21.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume).  Another way of saying this is that the vodka in question is less than 43 Proof.  Under Ohio laws and regulations, this is an item which may be sold by the holder of a permit which allows the sale of low proof alcohol and mixed beverages in sealed containers for carryout.  The sale of "hard liquor" is restricted to agents appointed by the state to make such sales.  I believe the Ohio section now reflects this adequately.  NorthCoastReader (talk) 03:12, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

Alabama
Alabama appears to have a mix of state controled and private liquor stores. I would not know where to find data about this, other than my own observations. User:Hclong3 — Preceding undated comment added 01:27, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Map vs list
The map of ABC states and the printed list do not come close to agreeing with each other. Jm546 19:30, 8 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Agreed. In addition, the text itself states that Arkansas is NOT a control state, but the map says it is.  Anyone who knows how to change the map should do it.  Otherwise, we need to just delete it.--Velvet elvis81 15:18, 22 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Likewise, South Carolina is listed as a control state via the map but remains unlisted. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1016:B115:916E:1135:8EED:EE1:832D (talk) 14:01, 29 March 2019 (UTC)


 * No it's not. I think you're confusing your Carolinas. oknazevad (talk) 14:09, 29 March 2019 (UTC)


 * Kansas is green on the map, but "kansas" appears 0 times on the page. What gives? Drij (talk) 12:40, 4 August 2022 (UTC)

Maine
Maine does not appear to be much of an ABC either, but only from experience. Any supermarket can have alcohol and I have never seen a state run Liquor store. Maybe it is considered an ABC, but is a little different than the others, in which case an explanation would be helpful. -T-4, March 14th, 2007 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.33.252.253 (talk) 17:51, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Connecticut
With regards to Connecticut, does the fact that the state sets a minimum selling price of alcohol include them in this article? --Impartialtruth (talk) 01:50, 28 November 2007 (UTC)impartialtruth

Inaccurate or dated
The map is either wrong, inaccurate, or poorly explained. It is inconsistent with my own observations:

I just came from a trip to Michigan (July 2009) and they have hard liquor in grocery stores there. Interestingly, the gas station chain "Holiday" does not carry any alcohol, not even beer. And South Carolina does not have liquor in the grocery stores. Maryland does not permit the sale of any alcohol except in liquor stores (i.e., must go to liquor store to buy beer).

So, I think further clarification is needed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.181.60.123 (talk) 04:21, 4 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I worked at a grocery store in Michigan for 3 years (2008-2011) as a cashier. I am 100% certain that one can buy hard liquor at the grocery store, since we sold it there.  The article should be updated to reflect this.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 141.213.51.201 (talk) 21:26, 11 April 2012 (UTC)

Details, please!
Perhaps I am misinterpreting the rationale for or function of the ABC system -- but as a consumer, I see no real consequences of a state being "ABC" or not, and absolutely no consistency. To see what I mean, take a look at "list of alcohol laws by state". Does the system mostly concern wholesale and distribution, or other aspects that are normally invisible to the average consumer ? Thanks.76.113.104.88 (talk) 22:33, 10 January 2010 (UTC)

contradiction
in one place it says it means there is a monopoly by the state in another it implies that it a way it can work but not the only way--209.181.16.93 (talk) 21:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)

Just to note
Dont know if this is significant or not but there is a widespread chain of liqour stores called "ABC" in at the very least central florida (maybe all of florida?) Is there any case of a local ABC laws? (County and City levels), if so it would be worth mentioning. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.33.138.221 (talk) 21:20, 9 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Just for clarification, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Fine_Wine_%26_Spirits is not related to the Alcoholic Beverage Control stores. It is a privately owned company that simply happens to have the same name. According to the company website: "company legend has it that Jack Holloway wanted not only a name that local residents would easily remember, but one that would show up first in the phone book." It is possible that the similarity was intentional but there is no hard evidence supporting that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.102.129.37 (talk) 01:34, 23 November 2016 (UTC)

Map
I think this article could use a map noting which states are ABC states. — Joshdick (talk) 19:48, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Maryland seems to be a special case.
As now noted in the article, there are 19 "control" [read: monopoly] jurisdictions in the U.S. These include 18 states and one county in Maryland. However, in the WP article on the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control, it is said that there are four Maryland counties which are "ABC" counties. We know about Montgomery County and we know that it is a monopoly county. Are the other three (Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico) monopoly counties as well? Or something less than that (while still being called "ABC counties")? I have seen printed information on Montgomery County and its status in the past, but I have never seen mention of the other three counties. NorthCoastReader (talk) 03:09, 4 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Those other counties in MD don't operate as "control" counties, they just have additional licensing requirements for ABC Licensees. in Montgomery County, bars, restaurants, retailers must purchase ALL of their alcohol through the MCDLC. In those other counties, they don't have a system like that, just county boards that regulate licensees. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.175.24.76 (talk) 19:53, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

South Carolina
South Carolina is correctly mentioned in the first paragraph of the history section. However, it is not listed in the state listing. I live in South Carolina where the state operates ABC stores though it allows private businesses to sell liquor under certain conditions:

* Hard Liquor can only be sold in a dedicated dispensary. Not at a grocery store. * Hard Liquor and Beer-Wine are not sold in the same location. The stores I have been to which choose to serve both will have two entrances with a wall in-between the two areas.

I haven't really done much research on this, but what I've observed is so far is true across the state. Which is why I would like someone to comment: Why is South Carolina not in the Alcoholic Beverage Control State listing? - SloppyG (talk) 19:23, 10 January 2015 (UTC)

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Other countries with similar systems
Without altering or inflating the current purpose of this page, it seems to me the reader might be well served by at least a brief mention (perhaps in the form of a link to another page that would contain an index of links) of other countries, or states/provinces/etc within other countries, that practice full or partial government monopoly over alcohol sales. One such example is Norway, where all beverages above a certain alcohol content are sold only through state operated stores.

While such added linkage would not be entirely intrinsic to the page, as things stand currently the reader is given no cause to suspect (other than simply guessing) that anywhere else in the world practices any comparable style of beverage control. Metafnord (talk) 10:52, 28 December 2020 (UTC)

Kansas
Kansas has never been an ABC state. It should never have been green. OneMMmember (talk) 05:06, 11 January 2022 (UTC)