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Alcohol laws of Tennessee

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Map showing dry (red), moist (yellow), and wet (blue) counties in Tennessee

The Alcohol laws of Tennessee are distinct in that they vary considerably by county.

Local government jurisdictions (counties & municipalities) in Tennessee by default are dry and do not allow the sales of liquor or wine. These governments must amend the laws to allow for liquor-by-the-drink sales and retail package stores. In many cases, the county may be dry, but a municipality is wet. The sale of beer is not affected by a dry or wet designation. This list may not reflect recent changes.

Dry counties

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In a "dry County", the sale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages is prohibited or restricted – 2 out of Tennessee's 95 counties are completely dry. Moore County is more or less a dry county with an extremely specific carve-out permitting patrons at Jack Daniel's Distillery to sample and buy liquor on the premises.

Moore County (Despite being home to Jack Daniel's Distillery, Moore County itself had been completely dry. However, the county now allows the sale of commemorative bottles of Jack in the White Rabbit Bottle Shop and one can take part in a sampling tour at the distillery. It is also now possible to sample wine, rum, vodka and whiskey in shops where it is distilled on premises. Beer is also available in local food establishments when served with a meal)

Moist counties

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In a "moist county", the sale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages in certain jurisdictions is permitted. This designation applies to 83 out of Tennessee's 95 counties.


Wet counties

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The designation of a "wet county" applies to jurisdictions where the sale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages is permitted – 10 out of Tennessee's 95 counties are wet. The state's four largest cities, Memphis (Shelby), Nashville (Davidson), Knoxville (Knox), and Chattanooga (Hamilton), are located in "wet counties".

Distilleries

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Main article: Tennessee whiskey

By 1810, registered distilleries numbered 14,191 and were producing 25.5 million gallons of whiskey.[12] In 2009, the Tennessee General Assembly amended the statute that had for many years limited the distillation of drinkable spirits to just three counties (Lincoln, Moore, and Coffee). The revised law allows distilleries to be established in 41 additional counties (counties in which liquor-by-the-drink was legal). This change was expected to lead to the establishment of small distilleries, thus increasing the number of producers of Tennessee whiskey.[13] As of March 2013, there are five brands with at least one Tennessee whiskey on the market, and several with whiskey in the barrel awaiting release.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rader, Ashley (November 7, 2012). "Elizabethton liquor-store referendum passes with 58 percent of vote". Elizabethton Star. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Rader, Ashley (December 14, 2012). "Council sets liquor store limit at 3". Elizabethton Star. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  3. ^ "Town votes in favor of retail package liquor stores". Crockett County Times. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  4. ^ a b c "Voters approve alcohol referendums in November elections". WKRN News 2. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Benjamin (2021-01-12). "Jamestown Working On Finalizing Liquor Applications". News Talk 94.1/AM 1600. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  6. ^ Hicks, Mark. "Bootlegger legacy ends at Erin's first package store". The Leaf-Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  7. ^ "Package stores, consumption on premise passes". The Tomahawk - Mountain City, Tennessee. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  8. ^ "Selmer voters approve liquor referendums". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  9. ^ a b "Several East Tennessee communities vote in favor of changing liquor laws". wbir.com. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  10. ^ "The Maynardville Municipal Code" (PDF).
  11. ^ "Liquor Sales by the Drink to be on November Ballot". Wayne County News. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  12. ^ Gaston, Kay Baker (1999). "Tennessee Distilleries: Their Rise, Fall, and Re-emergence". Border States: Journal of the Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  13. ^ John T. Edge, That's the Whiskey Talking, Gourmet.com (Gourmet magazine website), August 13, 2009
  14. ^ "Distilleries". TennesseeWhiskey.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
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