Why can't you buy beer and wine at the grocery store in Rhode Island? We found out
Have you ever wondered why when you go to grocery stores in other states you can often pick up beer or wine on a single trip?
In 46 states, grocery and convenience stores can sell beer, wine, or all kinds of alcohol.
But Rhode Island is one of the four – joined by Alaska, Maryland and Delaware – where people have to go to a package store.
A What and Why reader wrote in asking why Rhode Islanders can't buy wine and beer at the liquor store. They also asked why Rhode Islanders can't be members of wine clubs that allow wine to be shipped to your door.
Here's what we found out.
History of RI not allowing beer and wine to be sold at grocery stores
When the United States ratified the 21st Amendment and ended Prohibition, it put the regulation of alcoholic beverages into state hands.
From the very first proposal put out by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1934, all chain stores were barred from selling alcohol. Based on articles from The Providence Journal during this period, the provision to bar chain stores made it into the legislation with a hitch, as people were more concerned with what the tax structure would look like and making sure liquor could be served at places for working-class people instead of the original proposal of only at "dine-and-dance places."
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Rhode Island came out of those conversations with the three-tier system to regulate alcohol sales that many states use, breaking the regulations down separately for producers, distributors and retailers.
And in the Ocean State, this setup has largely stuck.
Have Rhode Islanders ever tried to change the law so beer and wine could be sold at grocery stores?
Legislation to change the law so beer and wine can be sold in grocery and convenience stores comes up regularly.
But the issue doesn't get a lot of traction.
In 2022, state Rep. Evan Shanley and Sen. Louis DiPalma introduced a bill to change it, with Shanley telling The Johnston Sunrise that constituents have complained that Rhode Island's rules are archaic.
This year, legislation was introduced again and drew swift and vocal opposition from the owners of local liquor stores.
"This bill, if passed, would be devastating to my family and business, which supports myself, my parents, my children and 8 employees and their families. I have read reports from other states, and have gathered anecdotal evidence from certain cases where revenues were cut 30% almost overnight. Our business would need to lay offapproximately half of our staff and I would not be able to pay my mortgage or fund my children's college savings accounts," Alexander Allen of Allen's Wine and Spirits in Portsmouth argued in written testimony.
Allen's letter was among nearly 50 submitted to legislators unanimously opposed to the bill. The letters talked about deterring underage drinking and wanting to support small businesses.
With clear and visible opposition and no one speaking in favor of the bill, it's little surprise that it didn't make it through committee.
Why can't Rhode Islanders join wine clubs?
As for the wine club question, it goes back to the three-tier system, but this time it deals with wholesalers.
Wholesalers are the only entity that can legally receive shipments of alcoholic beverages from manufacturers outside the state under Rhode Island law. There is an exception for consumers buying directly from manufacturers for a non-business purpose and having it shipped right to their home by a common carrier if the purchase is made in person at the manufacturer's premises.
And people can buy from licensed retailers, in person, on the phone or online, if the delivery is made by the retailer.
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But a common carrier, such as UPS or FedEx, can't deliver the purchase. And because Rhode Island issues retail licenses only to in-state retailers, Rhode Islanders can't get deliveries from out-of-state businesses, which effectively eliminates wine clubs.
However, all this could change. A federal court case, Anvar v. Dwyer, is challenging the liquor laws, arguing that they violate the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause. In September, the 1St Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the U.S. District Court decision on behalf of Rhode Island and sent it back to the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for further hearings.
What and Why RI is a weekly feature by The Providence Journal to explore our readers' curiosity. If you have a question about Rhode Island, big or small, email it to klandeck@gannett.com. She's very grateful for the questions she has received this year and loves answering them.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated where Anvar v. Dwyer stands in the courts.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Why can't you buy beer and wine at the grocery store in RI?
