In seventeen alcoholic beverage control (ABC) states, the specialty liquor stores are owned and operated exclusively by the state government, where liquor stores often sell only spirits or sometimes sell spirits and wine but not beer. ABC-run stores may be called ABC stores or state stores.
What does the ABC liquor store stand for?
Most of these states have an “Alcoholic Beverage Control” (ABC) board and run liquor stores called ABC stores or state stores. In all monopoly states a parallel license system is used to regulate the sale and distribution of lighter alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine.
What is an ABC liquor store?
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, ABC store, state store, or other similar terms.