Alcohol Laws of Kentucky - Quirks

Quirks

Apart from the laws governing local option elections by which communities can determine whether alcoholic beverages can be sold at all, many aspects of the state's alcohol laws were called "perplexing" in a 2012 story in one of Kentucky's largest newspapers, the Lexington Herald-Leader. The confusion starts with licensing itself—the state issues more than 70 different types of licenses for alcohol sales.

One significant quirk is that wine can be purchased in a pharmacy, but not in a supermarket. The sale of wine and distilled spirits at pharmacies and grocery stores is regulated by laws that date to Prohibition. At the time, prescriptions for alcohol could be obtained at pharmacies. After the end of national Prohibition, sales were prohibited in grocery stores because it was thought that minors were more likely to be in those businesses than in pharmacies. Today, while grocery stores can hold wine and distilled spirits licenses, they can only sell such beverages if they provide a separate entrance to that part of the store and not allow minors to work there. By contrast, grocery stores can sell beer in the main shopping area.

Another inconsistency involves the difference between legal ages for buying and selling alcoholic beverages. The legal age for purchase is 21, as in all U.S. states. However, the legal age for selling or serving alcoholic beverages in a licensed establishment is 20. In the case of packaged beer, the legal selling age is 18, as long as the person is supervised by someone who is at least 20.

In another quirk, the sale of alcohol is prohibited during primary and general elections, but not during special elections.