October 28, 1919 was a day for the ages. Congress passed the 18th amendment that would ban all production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States.
To mark the 100th anniversary of that infamous day, Drizly, the nationwide leader in alcohol e-commerce, has compiled a Top Ten list of the most bizarre state and city alcohol regulations. Even stranger, all but two are still (technically, at least) in effect today:
Washington, DC – Santa Claus may not be used to sell alcohol
Nebraska – Bar owners must simultaneously brew soup if they are selling beer (repealed)
Kansas – It is illegal to serve wine in a teacup (repealed)
North Carolina – Service alcohol at a Bingo game is not allowed
Tennessee – Bar owners are not allowed to let patrons make loud or unusual noises
Connecticut – Town records cannot be kept where liquor is sold
Oklahoma – If a beer is more than 4% alcohol, it must be sold at room temperature
Washington – It is against the law to destroy a beer bottle or cask
Idaho – Only one in every 1,500 people are allowed a liquor license
New York City – Law enforcement employees are prohibited from holding liquor licenses
“As pioneers of adult beverage e-commerce, we treat regulations with the utmost seriousness. The 100th anniversary of Prohibition got us to thinking about what still might be on the books, and to see how far we’ve come since then. There is some real legitimacy to some of these seemingly out-there laws,” said Jaci Flug, Drizly’s vp-regulatory & industry affairs.
“It does make you wonder if temperance advocates would have ever imagined tapping on a piece of glass to get their favorite libation delivered in under an hour. Highly unlikely, but fortunately, we’ve come a long way in both protecting consumers and providing the convenience they’re seeking.”