Dry Counties in Tennessee (Knoxville, Cookeville: living in, restaurants, legally)

[hiknapster]

Gatlinburg is not dry. Pigeon Forge was dry but you can now get beer and wine by the glass in restaurants. I'm not sure about grocery stores. I'm not sure about the rest of Sevier County.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Comfortably*Numb

I live in Orlando, Florida, but I visit Tennessee frequently because I have friends and relatives there. I hate to refer to any members here as liars, but I do know for a fact Sevier County is not dry because I have purchased wine and mixed drinks at restaurants in Gatlinburg, and I know of two liquor stores in Gatlinburg as well. It may be a moist or limited county as opposed to a truly wet county, but Sevier County is by no means completely dry. I KNOW the following restaurants in Gatlinburg serve mixed drinks and wine because I've purchased it there: Park Grill, Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Friday's, and Ruby Tuesday's.

Of course, there is a lot more to Sevier County than merely the city of Gatlinburg.

Yes, Sevier County is indeed dry. The city of Gatlinburg allows liquor sales, but the second you leave the city limits of Gatlinburg and find yourself in unincorporated Sevier County, you cannot purchase liquor (legally).

[BULLARD]

I read thru some of the threads and I admire how passionate folks are re; their dry county status. While its certainly something to be proud of, many threads spoke in tones of "preservation" of that status.

I look at boomer articles that conservatively estimate that ten percent of the boomers will end up in Tn. A small percentage perhaps, but that's 10% of 75,000,000 people.

As those 7.5 million ppl pour in, they WILL bring their culture with them. Some will want to continue watching 6 college football games around a couple of pitchers on a Sat afternoon .... or get dressed up and continue going out on a Friday night - two stepp'n or salsa or whatever they're accustomed to doing.

It makes one wonder about the weather forecast for "dry" counties. When will a few key local politicians be bought....when will the natives become the minority (& thus their representation in local govt), and where will people relocate to who want to continue living in dry counties?

While some perceive sports bars or dance halls as vice or sin, ... others will see an unfilled need ..... an if enough money changes hands .... laws will be overturned, liquor licenses will be sold and unfilled needs will be recognised exactly for what they are --- business oportunities. As Bogart said in Cassablanca ... "maybe not today ... maybe not tomorrow... but someday - and for the rest of your life".

[Comfortably*Numb]

Originally Posted by JMT

Yes, Sevier County is indeed dry. The city of Gatlinburg allows liquor sales, but the second you leave the city limits of Gatlinburg and find yourself in unincorporated Sevier County, you cannot purchase liquor (legally).

Ahhhh, so that makes Sevier County a moist county (a wet city surrounded by an otherwise dry county). I did not realize the rest of Sevier County is dry, then again, when I visit Tennessee and I am in Sevier County probably 85% of my dining is in Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg has several excellent restaurants, many of which I have eaten at since I was a small child and a few of the waitresses there know me by name.

I have another county to add to everyone's list of dry counties--Henderson. I am familiar with that county because my maternal grandmother lives there. Well, technically it's classified as dry, but I think it is in actuality a moist and limited county, as the CITY OF LEXINGTON has legalized the sale of BEER AND WINE, but liquor is still illegal in Lexington and outside Lexington all alcohol is illegal. The nearest truly wet county (or I think the county is wet, at least the city of Jackson is) is Madison, Jackson being 25 minutes away from Lexington.

Other counties I am sure of their status are Shelby (wet), Davidson (wet), Knox (wet), Hamilton (wet), Rutherford (wet), Williamson (wet), Sumner (wet), Bradley (moist), Coffee (moist), and Marion (dry).

[hiknapster]

Knox County is wet.

[Rcm58]

We used to own a Union 76 station in Piney Flats (later it became Marathon) The county allowed beer sales but in the deed it stated that no alcoholic beverages were ever to be sold from said property. A CVS store now resides on the property.

[Comfortably*Numb]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Knox County is wet.

Indeed, and thanks for reminding me, and I cannot believe I forgot this. The Turkey Creek area, which is outside the city of Knoxville, has restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages as well as liquor stores. Well, alright, I didn't forget that the Turkey Creek area is wet, as I have purchased alcohol there. I forgot that it was outside the city limits of Knoxville.

I corrected my previous post. Since alcohol is purchasable outside the city limits of Knoxville (such as Turkey Creek), Knox County is wet, not moist.

[Jzer21]

Well, Fawkes, if there's one thing that this thread has hopefully showed you it is that not all Tennesseans live up to the friendly, welcoming, slow-paced neighbors brimming with Southern hospitality stereotype.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Comfortably*Numb

Indeed, and thanks for reminding me, and I cannot believe I forgot this. The Turkey Creek area, which is outside the city of Knoxville, has restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages as well as liquor stores. Well, alright, I didn't forget that the Turkey Creek area is wet, as I have purchased alcohol there. I forgot that it was outside the city limits of Knoxville.

I corrected my previous post. Since alcohol is purchasable outside the city limits of Knoxville (such as Turkey Creek), Knox County is wet, not moist.

Actually, I think you can now purchase beer and liquor in Knoxville.

[tigergal]

All the unincorporated portions of every county in Tennessee are dry in terms of retail liquor/wine sales. State law requires that retail liquor sales be confined to incorporated municipalities of at least 1,000 persons and that a referendum of the municipality has passed which indicates a public desire for retail sales. A similar referendum is required for liquor-by-the-drink but it is a county-wide referendum and not limited to municipalities of 1,000 or more.