Dry county

squirrly

My hometown is in a "moist" county.  Meaning, you can get drinks at restaurants, but there are no liquor stores or sales to take home.  FI thinks we need to tell people that on the Accommodations card.  I'm struggling with how to note that.

I currently have this (before the alcohol note)

The (hotel) has an onsite restaurant serving breakfast and dinner, and an indoor pool and hot tub.  Don’t forget your suit! 

I'm thinking of adding this to it:
The hotel and many area restaurants feature a full bar; however, package liquor sales are not permitted in Georgetown.  The closest store is at the intersection of Broadway and Ironworks Road (see map insert) just across the county line.

Thoughts?  WWYD?

crfische

I'd put the kabosh on that and just start a petition for county.

Dear Booze Snobs,

Let us buy boozies that aren't exorbitantly priced. I promise there will be enough demand if you promise there will be enough supply.

Sincerely,

Fishy.

I've NEVER head of a dry county. I didn't know these hell holes existed?

suedoe

I think it sounds good. I know I would want the info.

mandysmear

I personally would be most appreciative of a note telling me that.  I'd stock up before I got there.  I like to have wine in my hotel room when I'm away.

opalsky007

I wouldn't include it in the invitation. Maybe with the welcome package, if you're doing one? I wrote a welcome letter with a list of some touristy things to do, and some of our favorite places to eat.

You could say something along the lines of, "We'd like to encourage you to visit some of our favorite restaurants and bars in town, including ..... If you'd like to take the party back to your place, the closest package store is at .... "

lyndausvi

I think word of mouth is the best way to tell people.  I know my family would love to know where the closest liquor store is, but would give a side-eye if it was in the invite packet. 

suedoe

Yes they do exist, mainly in the south. I know that I would want that info.

crfische

I would TOTALLY want to know before I got there. I'd stop on my way.

I'd want it in the invite.

opalsky007

Yeah, Fishy, dry counties suck.

Jack Daniel's is made in a dry county. They can make it, they can give tours of the factory, but can't sell it.

lyndausvi

fische - not sure now.. but when I went to the Jack Daniel's plant, the county is dry.  So odd that you could not get buy Jack Daniel's where they make Jack.

crfische

No kidding, Opal? Holy criminy!

saschaduran

Wait...what...you can't buy liquor for your house if you live there????  How far is the nearest liquor store??

Remind me never to move to Kentucky!

SwedishChick2011

The town I work in is dry, but not the whole county.  That would suck.  I don't know if you need to say on the card where the closest liquor store is.  That seems kind of tacky to me for some reason.  I'd probably stop after saying liquor sales are not permitted in the county and then people can plan ahead to bring their own booze if they want.  But that's just me.

squirrly

Opal, that's what I was thinking too - in the OOT bag.  FI thinks people will be pissy that they have to drive 10 minutes back the way they came.

Fishy, moist is what the petitioning got us after 20 years.  It used to be totally dry.  The baptist college in town funded the dry campaign every time the vote came up.  When the state changed the laws to allow this moist thing, Applebee's sponsored the college's football field to get the college to shut up & let the vote go through. 

"Last chance" is what we call the stores.  It's closer to my parents' house than the actual town is (they live in a rural subdivision).

crfische

This whole thing boggles my mind, I tell ya.

lyndausvi

Ocean City NJ is dry also.  But luckily it's a quick drive over the bridge to the liquor store.

Here in St Thomas Kmart even sells liquor.  Heck even roadside food places have alcohol.

crfische

FI thinks people will be pissy that they have to drive 10 minutes back the way they came.

I agree with Mr. Squirrly.

opalsky007

Want your mind boggled even more? I went to school on a dry campus. And not some little Baptist school, it was the University of Tennessee, pop. 30,000.

No containers of alcohol on campus, except on gamedays. Worst of all, they decided the human body counted as a container. You couldn't even drink off campus and come back on without taking a risk.

lpstl

Yeah, definitely add that. In big bold red letters that blink.

My family reunion every year is in Lynchburg TN (where Jack Daniels is made). Every year panic sets in once we realize we forgot to pick up booze, we have to turn around and head back to the gas station on the county border. I've never been to that gas station when there hasn't been a line practically out the door for booze.

saschaduran

I am boggled too!  I just can't imagine!!  We don't even have last call here, so I am very spoiled.  Liquor 24/7.

Well....this information really puts a kibbosh on the one-day plan H and I had to go to Kentucky and stay in a beautiful old Southern home and go on a bourbon tour...kind of like Napa...but really get sloshed.

squirrly

Oh - here's a fun tidbit for you - Bourbon County is dry, but Christian County is wet.

What about. . .

The (hotel) has an onsite restaurant serving breakfast and dinner, and an indoor pool and hot tub.  Don’t forget your suit!  The hotel and many area restaurants feature a full bar; however, package liquor sales are not permitted in Georgetown.  For alternatives, please see our website.

And I can put the exact location there. 

crfische

No containers of alcohol on campus, except on gamedays. Worst of all, they decided the human body counted as a container. You couldn't even drink off campus and come back on without taking a risk.

I've heard that your body is a vessel, but goodness gracious.

Did people actually follow it?

I mean, our campus was dry, but it was a small, Luthern College. And you best believe everyone drank on campus, we just took the chance.

AdeleDazeem

woo - Ocean City, NJ!

I grew up in a dry town in South Jersey as well.  Many strategically placed bars and liquor stores are just over the border.  I never thought much of it.  It just was what it was.

I don't think a card is necessary - word of mouth is better or people interested can just ask at the hotel front desk.

saschaduran

No way Opal!  My body is often a container of liquor!  That is just bananas.

opalsky007

We did too, Fishy. We sat on the roof of my campus church and drank, because the church owned the property and their only rules were, "not in the building". Not sure why Jesus can't see what you're doing on the roof, but whatever. We were grateful for it.

squirrly

Sascha, the Bourbon distilleries in Kentucky are all in wet counties, I think.  All the biggies, anyway.  (Jack Daniels is in Tennessee.)  The Bourbon trail is really popular.  Let me know if you're coming - I'll give you all "wet" area recommendations.

Opal, all public Kentucky college campuses are dry.  If you're wandering around drunk and stupid you'll get a PI, but as long as you're just going to your dorm room you're ok.  And, people tailgate like mad at football games - the parking lots are just sort of ignored on game days.  Unofficially, of course.

opalsky007

I like that wording better, Squirrly. Fits right in with the description of the hotel without yelling, "GET YER BOOZE THATAWAY!"

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I applied to a college in a dry county.

Read that again: College. In a dry county.

So glad I didn't end up going there!


Oh, and I'd probably be fine getting drinks at the wedding/dinner/hotel bar, but I know many people who would appreciate knowing and being able to "prepare" so the speak.

squirrly

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_dry-county?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:877e9d5c-c021-458b-b97c-9dda646000c0Post:0d34213c-ff75-4cd5-bc6d-17be37c718d7">Re: Dry county</a>:
[QUOTE]I like that wording better, Squirrly. Fits right in with the description of the hotel without yelling, "GET YER BOOZE THATAWAY!"
Posted by opalsky007[/QUOTE]

DED.  My grandmother will likely still give it side-eye, but I might just print some without the note at all for my conservative family.  I think the website is better too.  And, perhaps a detailed map in the OOT bags.  ;) 

lpstl

Wow, opal, when did UT go dry? Most of my family went to UT, and from what I can remember of my visits there was nothing dry about that campus at all. They must have a hell of a time enforcing it.

squirrly

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_dry-county?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:877e9d5c-c021-458b-b97c-9dda646000c0Post:c0d8ce53-d6bf-4ef0-98ba-e7e6c54ea4a4">Re: Dry county</a>:
[QUOTE]I applied to a college in a dry county. Read that again: College. In a dry county. So glad I didn't end up going there!
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

I went to college in a dry county.  The closest in state alcohol was 45 minutes away.  Or, you could drive to TN (20 minutes away) for beer/wine.  To get hard liquor it was still 45 minutes, because TN has dumb liquor laws.  Unless you're in Memphis, Nashville, or Knoxville, you can't sell liquor and malt under the same roof.  Most places just do beer & wine because of that.