A liquor store is a type of convenience store which specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages, especially in regions (e.g., the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) where the regulations concerning alcohol are particularly strict and supermarkets are not permitted to distribute it. A convenience store is a small store or shop, generally accessible or local. ... Bottles of cachaça, a Brazilian alcoholic beverage. ... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-kukhul الكحول, al meaning the and kukhul meaning spirit, the chemical) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Exterior appearance of typical American supermarket (a Safeway) Supermarket produce section A supermarket or grocery store is a store that sells a wide variety of food. ...

List of regions in which sale of alcohol is restricted to dedicated liquor stores

(Conditions and exceptions noted.)

Oceania

• New Zealand - Supermarkets and convenience stores may sell beer and wine only. Liquor must be purchased in a dedicated liquor store.

• Australia - Beer, wine, and liquor must be purchased at dedicated liquor stores. These may be attached to supermarkets. In some states hotels and pubs may also sell liquor for off-site consumption.

Oceania is a geographical (often geopolitical) region consisting of numerous countries and territories – mostly islands – in the Pacific Ocean. ... A mug of lager beer, showing the golden colour of the beer and the foamy head floating on top. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grapes or grape juice. ...

Nordic countries

Note: All the countries (except Denmark) have government-owned alcohol monopolies

• Finland - Wineries may sell wine and grocery stores may sell beer less than 4.7% ABV, all other alcohol must be purchased in the Alko store.
• Iceland - Can only be bought at Vínbúð stores.
• Norway - Can only be bought at Vinmonopolet stores
• Sweden - Grocery stores may sell beer less than 3.8% ABV, all other alcohol must be purchased in the state-run Systembolaget stores.

The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries, also referred to as Norden (The North), and as Scandinavia, is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Greek monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a kind of product or service. ... Alcohol by volume (ABV) is an indication of how much alcohol (expressed as a percentage) is included in an alcoholic beverage. ... Alko is the national alcoholic beverage retailing monopoly in Finland. ... Vínbúð is a chain of 46 stores run by the Icelandic alcohol & tobacco monopoly ÁTVR, locally called “ríkið” which actually means “the state”. It is the only place in the country where one can buy alcohol legally. ... Systembolaget is a government owned chain of liquor stores in Sweden. ...

United States

The majority of the states in the U.S. have laws which specify which alcoholic beverages must be sold in specialty liquor stores, and which can be sold in other venues. In some states, the specialty liquor stores are run exclusively by the state government.

• Florida - Supermarkets and convenience stores may sell beer, wine, and some liqueurs, hard liquor must be bought in a dedicated liquor store.
• Massachusetts - Hard liquor must be purchased at dedicated liquor stores.
• Montana - Hard liquor and fortified wine can only be purchased at state-run liquor stores.
• New York - Supermarkets in NY may sell some alcohol, such as beer, or cooking wine with less than 5% alcohol. Hard liquor and wine must be purchased in a dedicated liquor store.
• Ohio - Only state-run liquor stores can sell alcoholic beverages over 42 proof (21% alcohol by volume).
• Oklahoma - Supermarkets and convenience stores in OK may sell only beer with less than 3.2% alcohol. Any other alcohol must be sold at a dedicated liquor store at room temperature.
• Oregon - Beer and Wine may be sold in Supermarkets. Hard liquor only sold in state-run stores.
• Pennsylvania - Only the Liquor Control Board run Wine & Spirits Shoppes may sell hard liquor or wine (although wineries may sell their own products to consumers). Beer may only be purchased from beer distributors (by the case or keg) or in bars/restaurants (by the six-pack).
• Utah - Beer over 3.2% alcohol, wine, and hard liquor can only be purchased in state-owned liquor stores.
• Vermont - Supermarkets and convenience stores may sell beer and wine. Hard liquor must be purchased in state contracted liquor agencies.
• Virginia - Beer, wine, and malt liquor may be sold in supermarkets, but hard liquor is sold in state-operated stores.
• Washington - Beer and wine may be purchased in supermarkets but hard liquor must be purchased in state-run liquor stores.

State nickname: Sunshine State Official languages English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 17. ... A liqueur is a sweet alcoholic beverage, often flavoured with fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, roots, plants, barks, and sometimes cream. ... Various distilled beverages in a Spanish bar A distilled beverage, also called spirits or liquor, is a preparation for consumption containing ethyl alcohol purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as wine, malt, or grain. ... State nickname: Bay State Official languages English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Senators Edward Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 44th 27,360 km² 25. ... State nickname: Treasure State Official languages English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) Senators Max Baucus (D) Conrad Burns (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 4th 381,156 km² 1 Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 44th 902,195 2. ... A fortified wine is a wine to which additional alcohol has been added, most commonly in the form of brandy (a spirit distilled from wine). ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... A mug of lager beer, showing the golden colour of the beer and the foamy head floating on top. ... Cooking wine refers to inexpensive wine that has been treated with salt as a preservative. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Official languages None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8. ... Alcoholic proof is a measure of how much ethanol is in an alcoholic beverage, and is approximately twice the percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV, the unit that is commonly used today). ... Oklahoma is a state in the southern United States, lying mostly in the lower Great Plains, and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... State nickname: Beaver State Official languages None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 9th 255,026 km² 2. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Official languages None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 33rd 119,283 km² 2. ... Utah is one of the Four Corners states, and is bordered by: Idaho (at 42°N) and Wyoming (at 41°N and 111°W) in the north, by Colorado (at 109°W) in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast (at the Four Corners Monument... State nickname: The Green Mountain State Official languages None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Governor Jim Douglas (R) Senators Patrick Leahy (D) Jim Jeffords (I) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43th 24,923 km² 3. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Official languages English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Tim Kaine (D-Governor Elect) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 7. ... Malt liquor is an American term referring to a type of beer that has a high alcohol content and is therefore considered too alcoholic to be called beer. In the UK, similar beers are called super lager. ... This article deals with the U.S. state. ...

Canada

Note: All provinces except Alberta have government-owned retail liquor monopolies.

• Alberta - Only liquor stores may sell alcoholic beverages in urban areas, but unlike other provinces they are all privately owned and operated. Recently the province has allowed supermarkets to open attached liquor stores, but with separate entrances. In areas without another liquor retailer within a 15km radius, any licensed retailer may sell beer, wine, and liquor, including convenience stores, general stores, and gasoline (petrol) stations.
• British Columbia - Only stores owned by and attached to pubs, government owned stores, and rural government appointed liquor agencies may sell beer, wine, and liquor.
• Manitoba - Only hotels may sell beer. Beer, Wine, and Liquor only sold by government owned Liquor Marts.
• New Brunswick - Only government owned liquor stores or rural government appointed liquor agencies may sell beer, wine, and liquor.
• Newfoundland and Labrador - Convenience Stores and Supermarkets may only sell beer. Wine and Liquor is only sold by government owned liquor stores, or rural government appointed liquor agencies.
• Nova Scotia - In the past, only the provincially-owned NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation) could sell liquor products, including hard liquor, wine, and beer. Many NSLC locations are connected to grocery stores. Over the past five years, the Nova Scotia government has been slowly privatising the liquor industry, allowing a limited number of private stores to operate primarily in more urban areas.
• Ontario - Brewers Retail Inc. (operating as The Beer Store) is the only privately owned entity that can sell beer. Only the provincially-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) may sell hard liquor or wine, though it also sells beer, particularly in small markets that Brewers Retail does not serve. The only exceptions are Brewers and wineries are permitted to sell their own products on the site that the products were made.
• Prince Edward Island - Only government owned liquor stores may sell beer, wine, and liquor.
• Quebec - Only the provincially-owned Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) may sell hard liquor. Wine and beer can be purchased at dépanneurs (corner stores) and supermarkets.
• Saskatchewan - Only government owned stores, rural private government liquor agencies (private contractors), and hotels may sell beer, wine and liquor.