The Bourbon Hunt

Wet, Dry & “Moist”

The 21st Amendment handed the states authority over alcohol, and many pushed it down to local “local option” votes — producing a patchwork of dry, damp, and wet jurisdictions that changes with every referendum.

• Completely dry. No state is entirely dry, but roughly 15 states contain dry jurisdictions — some 92 dry counties across 8 states, plus dry cities, towns, and tribal lands (Alaska alone has 80-plus dry villages).
• Moist / damp. A compromise: beer but not spirits, possession but not sale, or on-premises only. Around 300–350 counties fall somewhere in between.
• Wet. The rest — where you can actually shop.

The Control-State Drop

In “open” states, a three-tier system (producer → distributor → retailer) governs the flow, and allocated bottles get doled out by quota and relationship. In “control” states, a government liquor board runs the show, and rare bottles arrive by lottery or by drop — a scheduled release that sends Taters into the overnight line.

The Trip to Bourbon Country

Kentucky is the homeland, and it rewards a pilgrimage. Triangulate Louisville, Lexington, and Bardstown; plan an itinerary for bachelors or for cocktail lovers; and beyond Kentucky, chase Tennessee (charcoal mellowing), Indiana (home of MGP), Colorado (high-altitude aging), and Texas (bold, hot-climate whiskey).

“The country can be divided into two parts: one where the good whiskey is, and the other where they can’t afford it.” Mark Twain