The States Where You Can't Buy Alcohol At Aldi

When you think about Aldi, you think of the most affordable grocery stores out there. With that in mind, you may not picture award-winning beers and wines, but you'd be wrong. Aldi sells a vast assortment of wines, from its Winking Owl brand to private label wines (which we ranked here), all of which are big hits not only here in the States but across the pond, as well. Unfortunately, buying a bottle of Pacific Fruit Sweet Pineapple Wine on a standard Saturday Aldi run isn't a privilege that every shopper gets to experience due to liquor and alcohol laws that vary by state.

Currently, Aldi is operating locations in 40 states (and Washington D.C., a federal district), but does not sell alcohol in 10 of those states, including Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, or Rhode Island. Of the other 30 states (and federal district) where Aldi sells alcohol, the stores only sell beer and wine, but no hard liquor. If it were up to Aldi, the big-name grocer would most likely stock its well-known wines at every store in the country, but alcohol and liquor laws make finding the fruity bottles a gamble. A surefire way to know if your Aldi store sells alcohol is to check the store locator.

Once the dreaded prohibition ended in 1933, alcohol sales regulation became a state-by-state decision, not a federal one. Alcohol sale laws are changing all the time, but this state-by-state authority means that there's a chance no two states have the same alcohol laws. When it comes to Aldi's alcohol sales, the chain is required to follow all state and city laws, even if the state permits the sale but the particular city does not.

In Pennsylvania, for example, legislation was passed that changed wine, beer, and distilled spirits sales at grocery stores, but you still won't find alcohol at Aldi because the laws and licensing are complicated. Maryland has been working on amending alcohol laws to allow beer and wine in grocery stores for a long time, but the bill has yet to receive enough support to pass, which means no Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (the absolute best Aldi wine) in Baltimore stores. Massachusetts, another state with complex and restrictive alcohol sale laws, technically allows beer and wine sales at grocery stores, but again, the licensing is tough to navigate. You might be able to find alcohol in other grocery stores around your state, but it's always best to check local alcohol sale laws before making a trip.