Does Aldi Actually Sell Alcohol?

If you've heard the buzz about Aldi's premium wine selection or arguments for why you should be buying your beer from Aldi, it might seem obvious that Aldi does, in fact, sell alcohol. That said, whether or not you can buy alcohol at your local Aldi depends on where you live. Some Aldi locations offer alcohol products, while others may not sell booze at all. The kind of alcohol available in different locations also varies. This is because the laws and regulations for alcohol sales are different from place to place.

In the U.S., Aldi doesn't sell liquor at all. This is because each state has its own rules regarding alcohol sales, and many states restrict spirit sales to either state-controlled liquor stores or private, licensed retailers. This differs from international locations like Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, France, and others. In fact, Aldi's whiskey has even received several awards in international spirit competitions (another reason Americans have FOMO over Aldi Scotch). 

Still, in many locations throughout the U.S., shoppers can purchase wine and beer at their local Aldi. This is excellent news for those who can, because not only does Aldi offer some award-winning wines, but they're usually priced very reasonably.

The U.S. has some complex alcohol laws. For example, some states restrict alcohol sales on Sundays, including Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Utah. Others allow sales on Sundays, but only in certain counties (most of these states are in the southeastern U.S.), and sometimes, there are specific times for the start and end of these sales. To make matters even more complicated, some states allow cities to pass their own restrictions, even if the rest of the county has contrasting laws. To top it all off, some U.S. counties are "dry," meaning no alcohol sales are allowed at all.

In another interesting twist, some states — specifically Minnesota, Mississippi, Utah, Kentucky, New York, Connecticut, and Kansas — restrict the sales of wine in grocery stores (some Aldi locations in these states don't carry beer, either). However, several of these states have recently been debating changing those laws. In Alaska, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland (with a few exceptions), shoppers can't purchase any alcohol at Aldi. You won't find booze at Aldi in New Jersey, either; while the state allows some alcohol sales in grocery stores, corporate chains are restricted to two liquor licenses.

There are currently 17 "control" states where the laws may affect whether or not your local Aldi sells alcohol. So, your best bet is to check Aldi's store locator to confirm what alcohol is on offer (if any) at your local store. With the chain's die-hard fan base, many people will have reasons to continue shopping at Aldi, even if they have to go elsewhere for alcohol supplies.