One common explanation you hear is that various states, not wanting their citizens to be seen carrying disreputable liquor bottles on the street, mandated that liquor stores sell all their goods in brown paper bags—that is, in packages. ... The term “package store” has its roots back during that period.Jun 4, 2016
Why is it called a package store in Massachusetts?
If you ever asked where our slang term came from, you were probably told it's because the Boston Brahmins wanted drinking to be discreet. So, the story goes, they used their clout to get laws passed requiring liquor to be packaged discreetly in nondescript, brown paper after it was sold.Apr 8, 2021
Why is a liquor store called A Packie?
In order to transport liquor discretely, stackable boxes were used, wrapped in brown paper and taped or tied shut with a string, so you could get it to the privacy of your own home. Thus “getting a package” became the euphemism. The Boston lingo made that, “Packie”, over time.
Why is it called a package store in CT?
In 1897, a Federal judge ruled that if booze purchased by a specific state was still in the "original packages" when sold by a wholesaler to that state, it could be sold to consumers. ... The judge's ruling was overturned and appealed many times over the years but eventually stuck for good as did the term, package store.Jul 29, 2019
What are liquor stores called in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania – All spirits are sold in Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stores, known since the early 2010s as "Fine Wine & Good Spirits" (and, earlier, as "State Stores"), which also sell other alcoholic beverages.
What are liquor stores called in New England?
A Michigander might patronize the “party store”, while Pennsylvanians frequent the “state store.” And then there's the term “package store,” which is used in various parts of the country, including the Carolinas and New England, where it is often shortened to the “Packy.” Where on earth did that term come from?Jun 4, 2016
What is an alcohol store called?
Licensed alcohol retailers are commonly called liquor shops or wine shops.
Why do they call it a Packie store?
In order to transport liquor discretely, stackable boxes were used, wrapped in brown paper and taped or tied shut with a string, so you could get it to the privacy of your own home. Thus “getting a package” became the euphemism. The Boston lingo made that, “Packie”, over time. Packie = Package store.
What is a Packie store?
"Packie", a slang term for a "package store" (i.e. a liquor store) in Massachusetts.
Why is it called ABC package store?
When they need a bottle of whiskey, North Carolinians might head down to the “ABC Store” (named after the state Alcoholic Beverage Control commission that operates them), while in South Carolina they often say “red dot stores,” because most liquor stores in the Palmetto State display three red dots on their signs.Jun 4, 2016
What does ABC stand for in liquor stores?
Alcoholic Beverage Control
What is a package liquor store meaning?
Definition of package store : a store that sells bottled or canned alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises.