Best Beer And Wine Shopping Destinations In Arizona

Arizona has a thriving alcohol market, with a range of options for purchasing beer and wine. The state's unique liquor laws, including a lottery system for licenses and permitted sales hours between 6 AM and 2 AM, make it an interesting market for both consumers and businesses. In Arizona, you can find local breweries and craft beer selections, as well as wine and spirits from domestic and international producers. Whether you're looking for a specialty drink or a popular brand, there are several options for buying beer and wine in Arizona, including dedicated liquor stores, such as Total Wine & More, and distributors like Crescent Crown. Additionally, Arizona allows for direct-to-consumer shipping and offers in-store purchases at grocery stores and retailers like CVS and Walgreens.

Buying alcohol in Arizona: hours, locations, and taxes

Hours

In Arizona, alcohol can be purchased between 6:00 AM and 2:00 AM. Some stores, like Total Wine & More in Phoenix, have more restricted hours, opening at 9:00 am and closing at 9:00 or 10:00 pm depending on the day. Crafted Beer and Wine in Phoenix is closed on Sundays and Mondays and is open from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Locations

Alcohol can be purchased in-store or online in Arizona. Grocery stores, including CVS and Walgreens, sell alcohol, as do big-box retailers like Costco. Alcohol can also be purchased at dedicated wine and liquor stores, such as Total Wine & More and Crafted Beer and Wine.

Taxes

Excise taxes on alcohol in Arizona are as follows:

• Wine: $0.84 per gallon
• Beer/Malt: $0.16 per gallon
• Liquor: $3 per gallon

Alcohol delivery in Arizona

There are several options for alcohol delivery in Arizona, whether you're hosting a party or just fancy a drink without leaving the house.

Drizly offers alcohol delivery in under 60 minutes in Arizona, with over 40 liquor store partners in the state. You can order anything from margarita mixes, craft tequila, and fresh limes, to beers, wines, liquors, and mixers. Drizly also offers contactless delivery, which is now preferred by many customers.

Minibar Delivery also provides alcohol delivery in Arizona, promising to bring the drinks to your door in as little as 30-60 minutes. They have a wide range of products, including wine, liquor, beer, flowers, glassware, and mixers. You can browse and order from local store partners through their website or app.

Total Wine & More has a store in Phoenix, AZ, that offers pickup and delivery services. They sell wine, spirits, beer, cigars, and accessories.

Retail delivery of liquor is permitted in Arizona with a bar, beer and wine bar, liquor store, or beer and wine store liquor license.

Alcohol distributors in Arizona

Arizona is home to a variety of alcohol distributors, offering a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Here is a list of some of the top alcohol distributors in the state:

Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc:

Golden Eagle Distributors has been a family-owned Arizona beer distributor since 1974, offering craft, import, local, and domestic beers, as well as wine, liquor, and non-alcoholic drinks. The Clements family has been selling beer for three generations and is known for their passion for the beverages they sell and the communities they serve. With seven offices and warehouses across the state, they are highly agile and dedicated to supporting their local communities and promoting their brands.

Alliance Beverage Distributing Company:

Alliance Beverage is the leading alcoholic beverage distributor in Arizona, striving to be the distributor of choice for customers, suppliers, and industry professionals. They distribute a wide range of alcoholic beverages and are actively involved in community relations and social responsibility leadership.

Crescent Crown Distributing:

Crescent Crown is a major distributor in Arizona and Louisiana, delivering over 26 million cases annually. They offer a diverse selection, including craft beers, imports, domestic beers, ciders, spirits, and non-alcoholic options. Crescent Crown is known for its commitment to product quality, ensuring that every case of beer is regularly checked and rotated, and maintained in temperature-controlled warehouses and trucks to beat the desert heat.

Hensley Beverage Company:

Founded in 1955 by Jim Hensley, Hensley Beverage Company is one of the largest family-owned and operated beverage distributors in the nation. They distribute a vast array of beverages, including beers, craft brews, fine wines, premium spirits, and non-alcoholic options. With a proprietary service fleet of over 800 vehicles and a dedicated team of over 850 employees, Hensley proudly serves customers across Arizona.

Romer Beverage Co:

Romer Beverage Co. has been family-owned and operated since 1982 and serves as the Anheuser-Busch distributor in Mohave, La Paz, and Yuma counties. They supply over 1,000 local retailers and are deeply committed to being involved in community events and activities.

Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona:

Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona has a long history, dating back to 1944. They began as the Arizona Wholesale Beer and Liquor Association, promoting and protecting the business interests of beer and liquor distributors across the state. They continue to be a significant presence in the industry.

Fine Wine Wholesalers:

Fine Wine Wholesalers, or Finley Distributing, LLC, serves retailers in Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties. They have a strong sales force and continue to grow through acquisitions and new product offerings.

In addition to these distributors, Arizona is also home to several retailers and specialty stores that offer a wide range of alcoholic beverages, such as Total Wine & More, which has a location in Phoenix, offering wine, spirits, beer, cigars, and accessories.

Alcohol laws in Arizona

In terms of purchasing alcohol, Arizona law permits adults aged 19 or older to serve alcohol or work behind a bar, and people aged 16 or older to sell alcohol in a store, as long as a supervisor over the age of 19 is present and the store primarily sells items other than alcohol.

Businesses with alcohol licenses can serve alcohol from 6 am to 2 am every day, but drinking must stop at 2:30 am, and no alcohol can be consumed from open containers between 2:30 am and 6 am.

Arizona has some surprising alcohol laws. For example, while you can't be arrested for public intoxication, you can be arrested for drinking in public. It is also illegal to have a firearm in a business licensed to sell alcohol.

The state has strict rules around drinking and driving, with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit of 0.08% within two hours of driving or being in physical control of a vehicle. For those under 21, the limit is even lower, and they cannot drive with any trace of alcohol in their body.

Arizona also has laws governing the amount of alcohol that can be served at one time: no more than 50 ounces of beer, one liter of wine, or four ounces of spirits. Drinking contests and unlimited drinks for a set price are also prohibited.

Finally, it is worth noting that Arizona awards liquor licenses through a lottery system, and residents can order up to six cases of wine per year from any winery in the US with a state permit.

Alcohol consumption trends in Arizona

Demographic and Income Factors:

According to a study, 63% of US adults aged 18 and older consumed alcohol when averaged over two years, 2021-2022. The rate increases to 65% when narrowed to adults of legal drinking age (21 years). Income levels play a significant role in alcohol consumption. In 2021/2022, 80% of adults aged 18 and older living in households with annual incomes of $100,000 or more consumed alcohol, while only 49% of those in households with incomes below $40,000 consumed alcohol.

Education and Gender:

The level of education also impacts alcohol consumption, with a higher percentage of adults with higher education consuming alcohol. Additionally, there is a slight difference in consumption between genders, with 66% of men and 61% of women consuming alcohol over the same two-year period.

Race and Ethnicity:

Race and ethnicity play a role as well, with 68% of non-Hispanic white adults, 59% of Hispanic adults, and 50% of non-Hispanic black adults consuming alcohol in the studied period.

Alcoholic Beverage Preferences:

When it comes to beverage preferences, 30% of consumers preferred liquor, 31% preferred wine, and 35% preferred beer. 16% drank only beer, 13% only wine, and 11% exclusively spirits. Consumption patterns also vary with age, with younger adults (21-39 years) more likely to consume beer weekly or more often, while wine and spirits consumption was similar across all age groups.

Spending Trends:

Monthly spending on alcohol among consumers aged 21 and older fluctuated in 2022, increasing from $25 to $38 between February and May but then declining to $34 in June. Income levels influenced these trends, with those earning less than $50,000 decreasing their spending, while those with incomes over $100,000 increased their alcohol spending by 31% from April to June 2022.

Non-Alcoholic and Low-Alcoholic Beverages:

The consumption of non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic beverages is on the rise. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks increased from 0.22% of total alcohol sales in 2018 to 0.47% in 2022, and this category is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2025. The no-alcohol category is projected to increase by 25% in volume between 2022 and 2026, while the low-alcohol category will grow by 6%.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic:

The COVID-19 pandemic has also influenced alcohol consumption trends. During the first wave, Americans consumed alcohol at higher frequencies, particularly in states with lower COVID-19 burdens. Economic indicators, such as increased sales and online liquor sales, reflect this trend. However, it is important to note that social and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic may have contributed to these changes, and further research is needed to understand the direct impact of the pandemic on alcohol consumption patterns.

Frequently asked questions