From: "Bob W"
[...]
>
> In North Carolina, a "cordial" is a spirituous liquor, an
> alcoholic beverage, and is also only available in specialty
> shops, i.e. state controlled ABC stores.
>
> Blame it all on the Southern Baptist Convention. We have to
> constantly fight them for the right to consume any alcohol at all.
When I spent a weekend in NC a few years ago we had to drive about 35 miles
each way from the town we were in to find somewhere that would serve us with
a drink. When we got there it was like one those bars you see in Burt
Reynolds films. Most educational.
It's called "local option" - each polity gets to hold a referendum on
what forms of alcohol sales are allowed within their boundaries. Can
lead to some strange combinations sometimes. "Dry" counties with "wet"
towns inside them, and more rarely wet counties with dry towns.
When I was going to school in Asheboro, NC - Asheboro & Randolph County
are DRY, but the town of Ramseur has a state ABC store, and the town of
Randleman allows grocery stores (including 7/11 type stores) to sell
beer and wine.
North Carolina didn't allow liquor to be sold by-the-drink prior to 1975
or so. The Baptist State Convention dominated the legislature and
wouldn't allow them to change the law.
There was finally a big campaign by the hotel and restaurant lobby
because it was hurting the tourism industry, and they finally forced the
legislature to put a state-wide referendum on the ballot to let the
voters decide whether to allow liquor-by-the-drink sales.
It passed by an overwhelming majority. I mean like 90% yes votes.
After that came the local referendums to determine whether to permit
liquor-by-the-drink ... I think Randolph County has another referendum
about every five years, and so far it's been barely defeated county-wide
- 50.5% NO vote.
Before liquor-by-the-drink passed, we had what was called "brown
bagging" - you brought your own bottle in a brown paper bag, and the
establishment provided "setups" - essentially all the ingredients for
the mixed drink except for the alcohol - and you mixed your own drink
out of your own bottle.
What eventually sold liquor-by-the-drink in North Carolina was the
simple argument that under "brown bagging" too many people didn't stop
drinking until the bottle was empty, and that under liquor-by-the-drink,
people might drink less.
Which, as it turned out, was true. Although more liquor gets sold now,
individuals drink less.
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