A liquor store is a retail business that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors (typically in bottles), wine or beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (in the UK and Ireland), off-sale (in parts of Canada and the US), bottle shop, bottle store (South Africa) or, colloquially, bottle-o (in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Canada), liquor store (in Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand) or other similar terms. A very limited number of jurisdictions have an alcohol monopoly. In US states that are alcoholic beverage control (ABC) states, the term ABC store may be used.
Beer shop
A beer shop (also referred to as a beershop or beer store) is a retail store where beer and other goods related to beer are sold; it is a specialised type of liquor store. Beer shops can be found all around the world, but there are many located in countries where beer is a major cultural product, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Scandinavian countries, the UK and the US. Beer shops range in size, and may be located along streets or in shopping malls. Some shops offer only regional beer brands which are famous or well known in their region. Others offer a wide range of beer from around the world, and some items may fetch fairly high prices, as with fine wines.
Due to the increase of craft brewing companies, many beer shops sell craft beers from local or international microbreweries, and some such breweries have their own beer shops for selling their own wares and sometimes those of partner breweries, either in regular bottles or in growlers, large, reusable jugs used to transport beer.
Some beer shops also offer beer tastings, homebrewing classes, and speciality goods like beer jam, beer mustard, beer chocolate, craft cheeses, and hop hard liquor. The shops are usually staffed by trained employees, sometimes even beer sommeliers who have a broad knowledge of the topic of beer.
Asia
India
Alcohol laws of India vary greatly from state to state, ranging from total prohibition (e.g. Gujarat) to state monopolies (e.g. Kerala, Tamil Nadu) to commercial licensing (e.g. Delhi, Karnataka).
Licensed alcohol retailers are commonly called liquor shops or wine shops. Despite the name, wine shops primarily sell beer and hard liquor, and may not, in fact, sell wine at all.
In southern India, shops licensed to manufacture and sell only palm wine (toddy) are known as toddy shops, while the shops of Tamil Nadu's alcohol monopoly TASMAC are known as "Tasmac outlets" or "Tasmac bars", and some permit consumption on-premises.
Japan
Alcohol is widely available in Japan from convenience stores and supermarkets. Dedicated liquor stores are known as , while establishments for drinking on premises are . Vending machines retailing alcoholic drinks remain common, although a "voluntary ban" was imposed in 2000.
South Korea
South Korea's old history on alcohol and traditions related to it shows that Korea is widely open to different types of alcohols, which can be easily seen in convenience stores and supermarkets, as well as Korean barbecue houses and hop(beer) houses. There are also stores that specialize in traditional and imported alcohol.
Europe
In Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain all supermarkets, convenience stores, and petrol stations may sell beer, wine, and liquors only if they possess a licence. The consumption of alcohol on premises is not forbidden, but is frowned upon. In the Netherlands supermarkets are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages up to 15% ABV, hard liquor is only sold from specialized bottle shops.
An EU court sentenced in 2007 that individuals are allowed to order craft beer online within the EU without having to pass through national monopolies.
United Kingdom and Ireland
In the United Kingdom and Ireland the corresponding term is off-licence, which refers to the fact that alcohol may be bought on the licensed premises, but must be consumed off the premises. Almost all supermarkets and groceries, and many petrol stations, have an off-licence.