PA Pennsylvania FULL CONTROL
Who buys: PLCB category managers for ~600 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.
Get listed: quarterly item submissions to the category manager; SLO (special liquor order) is the no-committee entry — licensees and consumers can order today.
Our RTM call: start SLO + Philadelphia on-premise pull, then pitch the listing with SLO velocity. Broker strongly recommended.
OH Ohio FULL CONTROL
Who buys: OHLQ (state) stocks ~480 contract agency stores.
Get listed: OHLQ new-product review cycles; limited shelf, data-driven decisions.
Our RTM call: Columbus + Cincinnati on-premise first — Ohio watches velocity. Broker near-essential.
MI Michigan WHOLESALE ONLY EASY ENTRY
Who buys: MLCC lists; private retailers order through three Authorized Distribution Agents (RNDC / GLWAS / Imperial).
Get listed: MLCC brand registration is straightforward; pick your ADA carefully — they're logistics, not salespeople.
Our RTM call: register, then put feet on the street in Detroit/Grand Rapids — retail is private, so it sells like an open state.
NC North Carolina FULL CONTROL
Who buys: NC ABC Commission approves; ~170 independent local ABC boards each decide what to stock.
Get listed: commission approval + warehouse bailment, then board-by-board sell-in; special-order per board is the entry.
Our RTM call: broker with board relationships is non-negotiable. Start Mecklenburg (Charlotte) + Wake (Raleigh).
VA Virginia FULL CONTROL
Who buys: Virginia ABC for ~400 state stores.
Get listed: annual/periodic listing cycles with category reviews; special order available while you wait.
Our RTM call: NoVA + Richmond on-premise to build proof; pitch listing with menu placements in hand.
OR Oregon FULL CONTROL EASY ENTRY
Who buys: OLCC purchasing; ~280 agent-run liquor stores that can also request products.
Get listed: monthly new-item process; agents have local latitude — store-level advocacy works.
Our RTM call: the most craft-friendly board in the country. Portland first, work the agents directly, broker optional.
AL Alabama FULL CONTROL
Who buys: ALABC — state wholesale plus ~170 state stores alongside private licensees.
Get listed: product review through ABC merchandising; special order exists but is clunky.
Our RTM call: broker with Montgomery relationships; Birmingham/Huntsville on-premise for pull.
IA Iowa WHOLESALE ONLY EASY ENTRY
Who buys: Iowa ABD warehouses and wholesales; ~3,000 private retailers (grocery-heavy) order from the state.
Get listed: monthly new-product process, comparatively open; the state publishes every store's purchases (we train our model on it).
Our RTM call: list, then sell Hy-Vee/Fareway HQs like an open state. Des Moines + Cedar Rapids first.
UT Utah FULL CONTROL
Who buys: DABS for ~50 stores — the tightest shelf in the country.
Get listed: quarterly listing windows with hard category caps; special order is the realistic entry.
Our RTM call: special order + SLC on-premise (bars pull hard here); pitch listing only with velocity. Local rep required in practice.
WV West Virginia WHOLESALE ONLY EASY ENTRY
Who buys: ABCA bailment warehouse; ~170 private retail outlets order from it.
Get listed: brand registration + bailment — no listing committee gatekeeping the warehouse.
Our RTM call: cheap to enter, thin to work. Add it when a broker already covers it.
WY Wyoming WHOLESALE ONLY EASY ENTRY
Who buys: Wyoming Liquor Division bailment; private retailers statewide.
Get listed: effectively open — get product into bailment and it's orderable.
Our RTM call: the easiest control state in America. Great pilot for your process; small volume ceiling.
MT Montana WHOLESALE ONLY
Who buys: state warehouse; ~95 franchised agency liquor stores buy from it.
Get listed: state listing plus agency-store advocacy — stores can push for products.
Our RTM call: Billings/Missoula/Bozeman tourism corridors; pair with WY under one broker.
ID Idaho FULL CONTROL
Who buys: Idaho State Liquor Division for ~170 stores.
Get listed: periodic listing reviews; special-order program for unlisted items.
Our RTM call: Boise metro is the market. Pair with OR/UT trips; regional broker.
ME Maine FULL CONTROL
Who buys: BABLO lists; ~550 private agency stores stock from the state book.
Get listed: BABLO listing process; the state's distribution contractor handles logistics.
Our RTM call: Portland's bar scene is the wedge; agency stores follow menus.
NH New Hampshire FULL CONTROL
Who buys: NHLC — runs its own retail like a business (border-store powerhouse).
Get listed: pitch the NHLC buying team directly; they act like a savvy retailer, not a bureau.
Our RTM call: treat it as a national account: strong margin story, promo calendar, and support dollars.
VT Vermont FULL CONTROL
Who buys: DLL lists; ~80 private agency stores.
Get listed: DLL listing review; small book, craft-sympathetic.
Our RTM call: Burlington first; small state, fast feedback loop — good test market.
MS Mississippi WHOLESALE ONLY
Who buys: ABC warehouse in Madison; private package stores order from it.
Get listed: brand registration + warehouse entry; retail is relationship selling.
Our RTM call: Jackson + coast casinos; add via a broker who's already driving there.
General guidance, not legal advice — boards change rules, cycles,
and fees constantly. Verify with each control board (or let us do it, below) before you ship anything.