ALONG THE ROAD

Along the Road

There were many years, too many years, when I would see something interesting along the road and say “I will have to come back and look at that someday and take a photo.”

As years have gone by, I have made it a point of stopping when I see something. Taking time to savor its beauty and place in the world.

Taylor Oregon Fields

BLUE NOTE

DRIVE IN LIQOR STORES

Drives in Liquor stores are a classic fixture on the Phoenix landscape. You don’t understand their importance until you have experienced a 115-degree summer day.

They are known by various names throughout the country including Package Shops, Bottle Shops, and Beer Barns. They grew rapidly with the popularity of autos after the war. The Beer Depot in Michigan, who would have guessed, is the oldest dating back to 1941. They began appearing in Los Angeles in 1949 and here in the early 1950’s.

Unlike the cold uniform exteriors of liquor stores in the 18 states who have monopolistic rights over liquor sales, the Drive In’s are unique in style and set up. Each is a classic statement of the owner’s vision.

One of the most interesting owners is Terry Renaker of The Cork and Bottle. Just out of the Marine Corp and needing a job, he started working for the then owner Buck. He became enthralled with the business and characters it attracted. The day I dropped in, there was a patron dressed in a cape crusader outfit buying a bottle from Terry. After 3 years, Terry bought the place from Buck and has been running it ever since with his assistant Bruce, the self appointed leprechaun of The Cork and Bottle. Terry is a big man with an even grander personality who is proud of the business he has created. 

There have been efforts to ban Drive in Liquor Stores. No doubt in part by the record of over 10,000 deaths on the road each year from alcohol related accidents. Still they are allowed in 23 states and flourish here in the desert.

Some say they will go the way of the times. However, 65% of sales at McDonalds come from Drive In’s. People remained time starved and want efficiency of purchases with limited human interaction. Seems like a good formula for continued success.

There will always be debate about the value and hazards of Drive In Liquor Stores. But one thing for sure, they remain great roadside attractions. Some have even cited problems with emissions from drive ins. But as Mabel at one of the Phoenix Drive In Liquor stores says, “After you hand them the bottle, they don’t idle for long.”

David Young