ALABAMA, USA — If you're a fan of highly-sought bourbons, whiskies and other small-batch spirits, or what the Alabama ABC Board calls "allocated spirits", the way you buy them is about to change.
Beginning in February 2021, monthly releases of allocated spirits will be published and you can buy two different bottles per person, per day. This is a change to the previous rule that allowed a customer to purchase one bottle per allocated spirit per day. This new two bottle limit only applies to limited-release "allocated spirits" products. ABC hopes that this will make the products available to more customers.
What makes a spirit "allocated"?
According to the ABC's website, if an item is limited in either the amount of product that they have access to OR it is limited in the total time that it can be offered to customers, the AABC considers that item to be "allocated".
Not all products will be available at all stores. ABC explains that they only have enough product sent to them to send out to a limited number of stores. All product is shipped from their warehouse in full case amounts so the number of cases available, not the number of bottles available, also determines the number of stores that receive products. They try to send allocated product where the most citizens live or shop. For example, on the ABC's FAQ page, they explain that 120 stores meet criteria specific to sales of Bourbon. 30 stores are allocated product every month and the remaining identified stores are sent allocations quarterly.
Where can I find a list of these Alabama ABC "allocated spirits"?
Lists are published monthly on the ABC's website calendar. Purchases are for Alabama residents and military personnel stationed in Alabama only. ID or proof of residence is required to purchase limited-release items. The two bottles-per-day limit is intended to make the items available to as many Alabama residents as possible.
Recently, Alabama temporarily closed 41 stores across the state due to COVD-19 and staffing issues. The stores are expected to reopen in late February or early March.
