From the sublime to the ridicules

Having grown up in Washington State, I am well familiar with state controlled liquor stores. I didn't really give it much thought until we started traveling. We don't do alot of shopping for alcoholic beverages but the differences from state to state is interesting. I don't know that we have come across another state where the state itself controls the liquor sales like Washington. In many states, the stores seem to be privately owned. You can't always buy even beer in a grocery store. Montgomery County Maryland seems to have the ridicules part covered. No beer or wine in the grocery store and even a very limited mixer offering. Rumor has it that a few select grocery stores carry beer/wine/mixers, but I have yet to find one.
On the other end of the spectrum is Arizona. sigh. You can get your fix at the grocery store, the drug store, Costco, and privately owned liquor stores. Many of the privately owned stores feature drive-thru windows!!! I first saw those in Pennsylvania, and then in Texas. Then there is the California based Bev-mo. It's like the Costco of liquor stores! WOW. Bev-mo has made it to Arizona and we checked it out just before we left for our trip east. The prices are not necessarily much better but the selection is amazing!
That's all. Just a random idea rambling around my brain. It's rainy and gray today. A good day for spinning, knitting and maybe some house cleaning.