*** Welcome to piglix ***

Liquor stores


A liquor store is a retail shop that sells prepackaged alcoholic beverages — typically in bottles — intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called bottle store, off licence, bottle shop, bottle-o, package store (in Boston, called a packie),ABC store, state store, or other similar terms. In Michigan they are known as "Party Store". Many states and jurisdictions have an alcohol monopoly.

In South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, these stores are generally called bottle stores.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland the corresponding term is off licence, which refers to the fact that alcohol may be bought on the licensed premises, but must be consumed off the premises. A commonly used slang term for the off licence is "offie" or "offy".

Almost all supermarkets and grocery stores, and many petrol stations, have an off-licence.

The price of alcohol in off licence establishments is substantially lower than in on-licence establishments (bars, pubs, and restaurants).

In Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain all supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations may sell beer, wine, and liquors only if they possess a licence. The consumption of alcohol on premises is not forbidden, but is frowned upon. In the Netherlands supermarkets are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages up to 15% ABV, hard liquor is only sold from specialized bottle shops.


...
Wikipedia

...