# What do YOU call a liquor store? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546 "2003-09-04T16:39:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/21 "2003-09-04T18:16:24Z")
I say I’m going to the LQ. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/22 "2003-09-04T18:25:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*Around Michigan, they call them Party Stores, but I still say liquor store. It sounds tougher… \*\* I’m in Michigan and I say both. I tend to think of party stores as slightly different than liquor stores. What I call a party store is more like a drug store without the pharmacy, they have food and usually can only sell beer and wine. Liquor stores have hard liquor(obviously) and generally have a pretty sparse inventory outside of booze. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/23 "2003-09-04T18:28:28Z")
**Casey** , as someone who has lived in several states, I have to say that PA has the strangest, and most inconvenient, rules about where certain types of alcohol can be purchased. Wasn’t it once true you could only by six pack at bars? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/24 "2003-09-04T18:36:57Z")
There are ABC stores in Virginia as well as the Carolinas. However, I just call it a “liquor store” most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/25 "2003-09-04T18:51:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nineiron \* > \*\*I most commonly use “liquor store.” On occasion, I will call it the “packy,” being from New England and all. When attending school in Vermont, I found that many people there called it the “Bevvy,” but that may have been just the local one, called the Beverage Warehouse. \*\* Yup, heading over to Winooski to hit the bevvy. Good times. (UVM '99) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/26 "2003-09-04T19:18:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lightingtool \* > \*\*How does one pronounce that? I can’t seem to say it. _Bottle-o_ or _bot-lo_? \*\* Well, they both sound pretty much the same if you say it quickly enough. But my own pronunciation (i’m from Australia originally) has always been closer to the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Donut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Donut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donut)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/27 "2003-09-04T19:31:03Z")
Here in Nova Scotia they used to be commonly called the LC (for Liquor Commision, as all stores were government run) but that seems to have largely disappeared. Most people just call’em Liqour Stores now. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/28 "2003-09-04T19:45:26Z")
I usually say liquor store or state store (in PA the state runs them) but the state has made an effort to have them called Spirit Shoppes ---
**Author:** ![heater2000ca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@heater2000ca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heater2000ca)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/29 "2003-09-04T19:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Donut \* > \*\*Here in Nova Scotia they used to be commonly called the LC (for Liquor Commision, as all stores were government run) but that seems to have largely disappeared. Most people just call’em Liqour Stores now. \*\* Yeah, that’s what I call them too (in Ontario). I usually say “LC”, sometimes I lengthen it to “LCBO” if I’m feeling generous. 🙂 That stands for Liquor Control Board of Ontario - which is why I never say the whole thing … who wants to say that mouthful?! ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/30 "2003-09-04T19:59:56Z")
Minnesota chiming in. Liquor store. Never heard any different. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/31 "2003-09-04T21:01:42Z")
Here in NC I’ve heard many people use the euphemism “Aunt Betsy’s Candy Store” to refer to the ABC places. Such cutesy-wutesy designations are not for my family, who just say “the liquor store.” In Finland they’re called Alko! ---
**Author:** ![electrozion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/85f322/32.png) [@electrozion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/electrozion)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/32 "2003-09-04T22:09:32Z")
[That’s what i call a liquor store](http://www.mexonline.com/baja/sft&l102.htm) There are no liqour stores in Germany (as you can buy alcohol in almost any store that sells drinks at all). But there’s "[Trinkhalle](http://www.vennemann-online.de/album/willigoeken.jpg) " (drinking hall). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/33 "2003-09-04T23:34:38Z")
In UK: the off-license the offie the wine shop Haddows Threshers Oddbins ---
**Author:** ![Sharopolis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Sharopolis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sharopolis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/34 "2003-09-04T23:57:37Z")
Well, another one to add to the UK terms list, Im not sure how widespread this is, but round where I live they’re they’re sometimes refered to as ‘selling out shops’, I’m not sure why but I think it might be similar to the off license thing, with out of licensed premises instead of off. ---
**Author:** ![cajela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cajela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cajela)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/35 "2003-09-05T00:42:26Z")
Bottleshop or bottle-o Or with a slightly humourous bent, the grog shop. Or, here in Canberra, the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/36 "2003-09-05T00:48:23Z")
Here it’s the bottle shop or the really big ones are the wholesalers. ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/37 "2003-09-05T01:09:20Z")
They are called package stores here in New Mexico. Also, one can buy beer, wine, and liquor in grocery and convenience stores here, which is very handy. Drive-Up package stores were in existence until just a few years ago! In NY we had liquor stores. Once, when we were staying in the Pittsburgh area, we had to buy a six-pack at a local bar. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/38 "2003-09-05T01:42:12Z")
Always called it the packy. I thought everyone did, until I needed to find a place to buy beer somewhere in the Midwest. Poor guy that I asked was very confused. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/39 "2003-09-05T02:01:05Z")
In the DC area, we always just called it the liquor store. [slight hijack] There’s a place near my old house called “B. K. Miller Super Liquor”. No joke. The weird thing is that it’s also a very good place to get meat, so people who’ve never touched a drop of alcohol go there all the time. They don’t seem to have a website, though. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/40 "2003-09-05T03:32:29Z")
I live in the DC area and have lived in the District and surrounding counties/municipalities. ABC store is specifically a **state owned** liquor store. Fairfax County used to have no privately-owned liquor stores, but that’s apparently not the case any more. In Maryland, it varies from county to county (Montgomery Co. has ABC stores, Prince George’s and DC have privately-owned liquor stores; the busiest ones are the ones that are right near the Montgomery County line). There was a restaurant/liquor store right on the Montgomery/PG County line (somewhere between Burtonsville and Laurel) and the owners, an elderly couple, went to court and begged to have the whole property retroceded to PG County; they would have been unable to operate or sell the place had Montgomery flexed its muscles. I grew up in Fairfax County where off-premisis liquor could only be sold through state-owned ABC stores, but beer and wine could be sold practically anywhere, including most gas stations (This may no longer be the case; I barely notice since I seldom drink any more, but I notice some privately-owned booze supermarkets called Total Beverage real close to the Fairfax County line). After college, I lived in Montgomery County where beer and wine licenses are apparently a lot harder to come by (Most supermarkets don’t sell any kind of alcohol in Montgomery Co.). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546.md?page=3)