Idaho Enjoys a Luxury Not Every State Is Lucky Enough to Have

Although the pandemic could be changing this.

I'll never forget when I saw my first drive-thru liquor store. I had just moved to college in Texas and I passed one on the street. At first I thought, "nah, that can't be right." However, after a few more passes, I finally pulled into the parking lot.

The sign distinctly said "drive-thru liquor."

At this point in my life I had no experience with alcohol. My parents didn't drink and I was not old enough. I also wasn't one of those kids who experimented with it in high school. So I was actually waiting for the police to come shut it down because I thought it was an illegal business.

Yep, I thought drive-thru liquor meant you were drinking and driving.

Turns out it's just a super easy way to get what you need. Headed to someone's house for a dinner party and forgot a bottle of wine? Drive on through. Looking to grab something on the way to a tailgate? Drive on through. Forgot to grab something while running errands and now you've got cold groceries in the car? Drive on through.

We are one of 30 states with drive-thru liquor stores.

That means 20 states are still doing things the old fashioned way. What is this, the 1800s?

Now, to be honest, I didn't think that many states had liquor stores with this feature. I used to think it was just a southern thing. Obviously I had first seen these in Texas and then utilized them during Mardi Gras season when I lived in Louisiana.

I think the pandemic may have changed this for some states and will continue to change it. One of the things we saw become legal (if only for a season) in 2020 was alcoholic drinks to-go. You could get your pick-up order from your favorite restaurant and your favorite boozy drink to go with it. That feature has stuck in some places so I wouldn't be surprised if drive-thru liquor stores are a thing nationwide in the near future.

I also love that there are so many names for drive-thru liquor stores like, brew-thrus, party barns, beer barns, bootleggers, bottle shops, etc.