Patiently reading through reams of legislative minutes is one way to hold government to account. Another is asking a North Carolina ABC store clerk where to find the amaro.
For those who aren’t familiar with the intricacies of North Carolina liquor laws, what’s essential to know is that North Carolina is a control state, meaning the government has a monopoly on distilled spirits. The control model, which emerged in the aftermath of Prohibition’s repeal, is common nationwide: Seventeen states are classified as control states, including five states in The Food Section’s coverage area (Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.)
In several of those states, though, drinkers might never notice the government’s intervention. In Mississippi, for example, all 700 retail liquor stores, while licensed by the state, are privately run.
That is very much not the case in North Carolina.
Under North Carolina’s wildly paternalistic system, distilled spirits are sold exclusively though stores owned and operated by one of the state’s 171 Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) boards. Bottle pricing and distribution is determined by the North Carolina ABC Commission, a bureaucratic system that’s historically produced prolonged inventory shortages and prices much steeper than what business owners across the state border charge (not to mention accusations of cronyism, favoritism, and questionable accounting practices.)
What that means in practice is a North Carolina bourbon enthusiast can either place a special order for Willett Pot Still Reserve, or wait for the coveted $59.95 bottle to possibly show up on local shelves—or she can drive to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and pick one up for $46.99 at Total Wine & More.
North Carolina consumers and restaurant owners have railed against control for close to a century. So, why is the setup still in place? Earlier this month, ABC Commission chairman Hank Bauer told North Carolina’s House Select Committee on Government Efficiency that the agency is projecting $1.8 billion in revenue for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with $170 million in profits allocated for distribution to local governments.
For public officials, it’s too much money to give up. For The Food Section, it’s a statistic that prompts closer scrutiny.
If there’s one overarching problem with the ABC system in North Carolina, it’s the absence of any incentive to serve the liquor-buying public. As in most flawed socialist regimes, ABC board members are beholden to party bosses rather than fellow citizens. Without market forces at play, there’s no motivation for them to prioritize competitive prices, attractive inventories, and customer service—which is where this newsletter comes in.
At The Food Section, we believe in championing good work where we find it and taking venues to task when they don’t do right by people who give them their hard-earned money. It’s all in the name of making readers’ meals more meaningful, which can sometimes involve learning about tequila production or acquiring a limited-release bottle of whiskey distilled three counties away.
Unfortunately, those are astonishingly difficult tasks to accomplish in most of North Carolina. But in some places, it’s harder than others: Because ABC stores are administered at the local level, the guest experience varies tremendously across the state. That’s why The Food Section set out to objectively rate the top-selling ABC store in 97 North Carolina counties. (North Carolina famously has 100 counties, but two are dry, and one’s so wet its top-selling shop can only be reached by an hourlong ferry. Sorry, Hyde.)
That’s right: We secret-shopped 97 stores to help make up for the longstanding lack of accountability when it comes to liquor in the South’s second-most populous state. This unprecedented project was massive by every measure, unfolding over months and requiring the services of half a dozen evaluators. But if it means just one North Carolinian has a richer drinking life—whether because his local store makes changes, or because this list suggests where he ought to shop instead—it’s worth it to us here at TFS.
But how much is it worth to you?
If you live in North Carolina, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s worth $5 to find out where your ABC store stands. After all, you’re probably already in the habit of complaining about where you shop—but just imagine strengthening your tirades with data showing it’s outperformed by 89 stores statewide. Or picture the pride that could come from knowing you patronize the best ABC store in all of North Carolina.
Either way, it costs just $5 to receive the worst-to-best rankings, which we’ll roll out at a rate of roughly 20 a day, starting on Monday, October 27. (The package is also included with all paid subscriptions, so paying subscribers don’t have to fuss with additional fees.)
This is a one-time purchase which won’t renew automatically. We’re talking about just $1 a day for one standard work week: In exchange, you’ll each morning receive ABC intel and insights that you won’t find anywhere else.
If you don’t live in North Carolina, I’d wager you’re wondering why you’d ever want to pay for rankings of ABC stores in another state. As someone who lives in Georgia, I get it. I wouldn’t pay $5 to learn whether to take my Campari cravings to Carteret County (No spoilers!)
But think of the next week of newsletters as a complicated cocktail, rather than a single spirit. We’re augmenting the list with columns from leading drinks writers and long-time North Carolina observers that I promise you’ll enjoy regardless of where you buy your bottles.
That kind of valuable commentary is also knitted into the list itself: For instance, at The Food Section’s request, preeminent cocktail historian Dave Wondrich weighed in on the probable provenance of a handwritten drinks recipe book kept on the counter of an ABC store in Scotland County. But you’ll need to purchase a subscription or buy the $5 package to discover what he determined.
No matter where you live, I hope you’ll support this ambitious project because it’s the kind of culinary journalism we need more of. At The Food Section, we believe in ferreting out facts to serve everyday eaters and drinkers at the mercy of monied interests and governmental authorities. Still, that mission isn’t cheap. It cost $2742.65 to cover the gas, lodging, and freelance fees associated with our on-the-ground reporting, not counting a speeding ticket issued in Turkey, North Carolina by a cop who oddly didn’t have a radar gun. (You can check out the itemized expense report here.)
Tomorrow, I’ll reveal the scoresheet we used to rank stores and explain how we developed it. As you’ll see, one of our standard questions for store employees was “Where is the amaro?” Very few employees fielded the question successfully, but I once encountered a clerk in rural western North Carolina who told me that he’d started researching amaro after a customer asked for it; he was remarkably eager to chat about herbal liqueur.
I was very impressed—until I learned I’d inadvertently gone to a store that another TFS evaluator had already visited, checklist in hand. In other words, North Carolina is already benefitting from our independent and rigorous drinks journalism: You can keep it going for just $5.
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