Where is liquor cheapest? MD, VA or DC?

[jender]

I've purchased booze from state-run liquor stores in Virginia, a number of different shops in DC, and at least one place in Maryland.

Aside from any potential legal restrictions in purchasing alcohol in one jurisdiction and consuming it in another, is there a consensus on what parts of the DC metropolitan area are cheapest for buying generic, non-specialty liquors are cheaper?

I'm basically wondering if there's a potential I'll save a couple bucks buying medium-grade vodkas and rums in Virginia or Maryland over DC (or vice versa).

[alkapal]

NOT virginia

[reiflame]

Maryland has low liquor taxes, but Montgomery County has an arcane alcohol distribution center that jacks up the price tremendously.

I don't know if MD overall is cheaper than VA or DC, but if it is it's not the Montgomery County part of MD.

[Hal Laurent]

Most of Maryland doesn't have nearly as weird liquor laws as Montgomery County.

[reiflame]

None of Maryland has liquor laws like MoCo; we're "unique".

[MikeR]

In general, DC has the lowest prices, but the VA and Montgomery County stores occasionally have sales that are pretty good.

There's no restriction about buying it in one place and drinking it in another, but there's a limit to how much you can carry across a state line. When I was in college, particularly around holiday times, Virginia cops (of whatever variety they were) would park at the Virginia end of Key Bridge and post a lookout at the DC end watching for people leaving the liquor store just at the Georgetown end of the bridge loading multiple cases into their cars. I don't know if they still do that.

[coolcreek]

they used to snag folks going back into MD at Chevy Chase Circle and Friendship Heights, too. Especially around holiday time. But I've got no idea if they still do.

[themeatguy]

This is a little out of the way, but in Point of Rocks maryland is where my friends and I go. We find if you are going to spend some money on booze, that's the place you save the most money. But again, we live only about 15 miles from there so it does work for us.