Was Mayberry in a dry county?

[GentlemanJim]

All through the "black and white" era, I can never remember anyone drinking a beer or other alcoholic beverage in a restaurant, picnic, or other function. Just the constant theme of Otis' serial misfortunes, and busting up stills.

But today I was watching season 7 episode 21 "Aunt Bee's Restaurant" where she goes in to the spare rib tavern to express condolences to the owner over his failed venture, and Beer is listed on a wall menu at 25 cents.

It just seemed a bit of a shocker for a community where I had thought there was no tolerance.

[Chocolate Moose]

I think that the church-going crowd of Mayberry frowned on Drink. And that's who mostly was portrayed in the show.

[Mayberry'sBadBoy]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

All through the "black and white" era, I can never remember anyone drinking a beer or other alcoholic beverage in a restaurant, picnic, or other function. Just the constant theme of Otis' serial misfortunes, and busting up stills.

But today I was watching season 7 episode 21 "Aunt Bee's Restaurant" where she goes in to the spare rib tavern to express condolences to the owner over his failed venture, and Beer is listed on a wall menu at 25 cents.

It just seemed a bit of a shocker for a community where I had thought there was no tolerance.

Barney and Thelma Lou were going to have wine at their intimate little dinner in The Jinx and Andy had a draft beer when he went on his date with Peggy in Andy's Rich Girlfriend, though that was over in Mount Pilot.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by Mayberry'sBadBoy

Andy had a draft beer when he went on his date with Peggy in Andy's Rich Girlfriend, though that was over in Mount Pilot.

Exactly, and that episode where Barney was trying to mend a broken heart, they met the "fun girls" at a club over by the county line that was supposedly selling liquor to minors, but that was near Mt Pilot as well.

And let's not forget the "medicine man" episode where all of Aunt Bee's friends got soused, and despite being in the privacy of a private home they all got arrested, taken to jail.

That doesn't sound like a tolerant environment.

[TSMIV]

I always assumed it was a dry county because Barney was always trying to get Otis to tell him the location of Rafe Hollister's still.

[kramer]

In the first season "The Christmas Story" Ben is mad at the moonshiner. He says his store sells spirits. Its just one of the inconsistencies of the show. Like the first time we see Ernest T he is writing notes on rocks. Later on Andy has to teach him to read and write. "I want to write my sentence"

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by kramer

In the first season "The Christmas Story" Ben is mad at the moonshiner. He says his store sells spirits. Its just one of the inconsistencies of the show. Like the first time we see Ernest T he is writing notes on rocks. Later on Andy has to teach him to read and write. "I want to write my sentence"

There was also an Ernest T episode where he is running down the street, and a building he runs past has the word "BAR" painted on the window. (I think it is the episode where Barney breaks the window with his revolver)

But then in a more recent color episode, where Howard wants to join the lodge, the Lodge has a keg of Root Beer for the men to drink, and you'd sure expect a private mens club to serve alcohol if the law permitted it.

[GrtGzu]

wasn't it when the Morrison sisters got caught, it was mentioned that Mayberry was a "dry county"?

also that Jubal dude whose barn burned down cuz he was makin' mash?

[installLSC]

Maybe it was technically illegal but it was rarely enforced. If that seems like a stretch consider Mississippi prohibted alcohol until 1966, but it was widely available in the state--so much the state actually collected taxes on alcohol!
And prohibiting moonshining isn't as much to keep people from drinking, it's to keep people from passing up liquor taxes

[cbikle]

Originally Posted by TSMIV

I always assumed it was a dry county because Barney was always trying to get Otis to tell him the location of Rafe Hollister's still.

Ah, interesting.

Perhaps in Mayberry, beer & wine was OK to be served and/or sold, but nothing harder.

In the case of Rafe's still, I guess it was illegal for all the reasons that moonshine is(was?) still illegal - health & safety concerns as well as not being a taxable commodity.

[MrMattyMatt]

In one of the B&W episodes Andy mentions it's a dry county. I want to say that there was one episode where they somehow mentioned that they wanted to have dinner in another city because it was in a county where alcohol could be served. Perhaps, the laws changed over the course of the series. I recall Barney talking about a restaurant that would allow you to bring your own bottle.

[OH Nuts!]

Well if it was, Otis sure made sure it was wet LOL!

[Willbo]

I think I recall in the Mayberry RFD world that alcohol was on the menu in the Italian restaurant.

[Road Dog]

I think it's safe to say Mayberry was a dry town since there were so many bootleggers around, such as the Morrison sisters, Rafe Hollister, Ben Sewell, Rube Sloan, and Jubel (the who accidentally burned down his own barn while making hooch).

[GentlemanJim]

And we have an answer!! Season two, episode 31, "Deputy Otis". After Otis' older brother comes to Mayberry, and ties one on, he jails himself pretty much the same way that Otis does.

Otis approaches to admonish him, and tells him (among other things) "you know this is a dry county". So we have an answer, neither vague, nor arbitrary.