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Are liquor stores open on Thanksgiving?

By Shea Corrigan

LOUISVILLE, KY- JUNE 1: A view of the many different types of Kentucky bourbon that are produced in Kentucky at a Party Mart liquor store on June 1, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Blue Grass region of Kentucky is home to the distilleries which make about 9 out of every 10 bottles of bourbon in the US. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY- JUNE 1: A view of the many different types of Kentucky bourbon that are produced in Kentucky at a Party Mart liquor store on June 1, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Blue Grass region of Kentucky is home to the distilleries which make about 9 out of every 10 bottles of bourbon in the US. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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There are many reasons you may be in search of liquor on Thanksgiving. We’re not here to judge.

Thanksgiving is a family-centric holiday. More than Fourth of July and less religiously prohibitive than Christmas, it’s one of the biggies for getting the gang together for an afternoon/evening of excessive eating and airing of longstanding grievances and grudges. The holidays! What’s that have to do with liquor store holiday hours? Well, that’s for you to decide.

If you’re in search of the hard stuff (or…cooking wine? or…milk and forgotten grocery items?), you’ll first need to consult your state’s liquor laws and then perhaps make a call to your favorite liquor store.

Some states, like Utah, don’t sell alcohol on Thanksgiving, making the Wednesday prior the busiest day of the year for liquor purveyors. Here is a list of the states which liquor stores, legally, can and cannot be open on Thanksgiving.

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  • Alabama — Closed
  • Alaska  — Open
  • Arizona — Open
  • Arkansas — Open
  • California — Open
  • Colorado — Open
  • Connecticut — Closed
  • Delaware — Closed
  • Florida — Open
  • Georgia— Open
  • Hawaii — Open
  • Idaho — Closed
  • Illinois — Open
  • Indiana — Open
  • Iowa — Open
  • Kansas — Closed
  • Kentucky — Open
  • Louisiana — TBD by parish laws
  • Maine — Open
  • Maryland — Open
  • Massachusetts — Closed
  • Michigan — Open
  • Minnesota — Closed
  • Mississippi — Closed
  • Missouri — Open
  • Montana — Closed
  • Nebraska — Open
  • Nevada — Open
  • New Hampshire — Closed
  • New Jersey — Open
  • New Mexico — Open
  • New York — Open
  • North Carolina — Closed
  • North Dakota — Closed
  • Ohio — Closed
  • Oklahoma — Closed
  • Oregon  — Open
  • Pennsylvania — Closed
  • Rhode Island — Closed
  • South Carolina — Open
  • Tennessee — Closed
  • Texas — Closed
  • Utah — Closed
  • Vermont — Open
  • Virginia — Closed
  • Washington — Open
  • West Virginia — Open
  • Wisconsin — Open
  • Wyoming — Open

However, even if liquor stores can legally be open, that doesn’t mean they will. Liquor stores are one of the last thriving small business industries, and your local liquor (wine, beer, etc.) seller may choose to shut down or offer limited offers on account of spending time with his or her family too.

Moral of the story: Call ahead and keep your home bar well-stocked.