Many grocery stores in the US sell beer, wine, and cider in their stores. Depending on where you live, they may also sell liquor.
Like most grocery stores, Whole Foods sells alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine coolers. However, this depends on what state you live in as laws are different across the US. In Canada, Whole Foods does not sell beer or any alcohol.
The number and types of drinks for sale at your Whole Foods are subject to local habits and availability.
Beer Available at Whole Foods:
To begin, let’s focus only on beers. Whole Foods sells many beers in their stores, although which ones will vary a little based on location.
Here are some of the better-known beers sold by Whole Foods:
- Modelo
- White Claw
- Corona
- Guinness
- Blue Moon
- Stella Artois
- Coors
- Miller Lite
- Heineken
- Budweiser
Other Types of Craft Beers at Whole Foods:
- IPAs
- Double IPAs
- Pale Ales
- Stouts
- Sours
- Pilsners
- Many more!
Often you will find local beers available when visiting your local grocery stores and markets, Whole Foods is no different!
Price
The price of beer will vary widely depending on location since beer is frequently taxed at the local level. However, you should expect to pay a little more for a beer at Whole Foods than you would at another retailer.
Quality
These brands range from basic American beer to fancier microbrews. In some cases, you can even buy high-quality imported beer from Belgium and Germany. In terms of taste, you can find both lagers and IPAs on sale at Whole Foods.
Wine coolers at Whole Foods:
While Whole Foods has a large and sophisticated wine and beer selection at its stores, they don’t have very many coolers. This is likely because mixed drinks such as coolers tend to contain dyes, artificial flavors, and other ingredients not keeping with Whole Foods’ values. You can expect to find premixed margaritas and alcoholic teas on offer in stores.
The Difference Between Beer and Wine Coolers
Beer is a malt drink, meaning that the primary ingredient is a grain such as wheat and barley along with hops.
Wine coolers are canned pre-mixed drinks containing fruit juice and alcohol (usually wine). Before 1980, wine coolers were a cocktail mostly found in bars and restaurants, but then breweries started to mix and bottle their own.
Buying Beer at Whole Foods Tip!
Unlike many grocery stores, which don’t have a knowledgeable employee specifically for alcohol, Whole Foods employs what they call Certified Beer Cicerones. Cicerones are guides who give information about a special interest, meaning that these employees should be very knowledgeable about beer.
You can give them a taste profile that you prefer, and they will give you suggestions. Not every employee is a Cicerone, so make sure to ask for one. For more information about shopping for a beer at Whole Foods, they have published a guide here.
States that Allow the Sale of Alcohol in Whole Foods:
Take a look at what states allow beer, wine, and/or liquor to be sold at stores other than government run liquor stores. Keep in mind, just because they are legally allowed to sell alcohol does not necessarily mean the Whole Foods in the listed location has it available for purchase.
| State | Beer | Wine | Liquor (rum, vodka, gin, etc.) |
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | No |
| Alaska | No | No | No |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | No |
| California | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colorado | Yes | No | No |
| Connecticut | Yes | No | No |
| Delaware | No | No | No |
| District of Columbia | Yes | Yes | No |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | No |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Idaho | Yes | Yes | No |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kansas | Up to 6% ABV only | No | No |
| Kentucky | Yes | No | No |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Maryland | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota | Only up to 3.2% ABV | No | No |
| Mississippi | Yes | No | No |
| Missouri | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Montana | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nebraska | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | No |
| New Jersey | Rarely | Rarely | No |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New York | Yes | No | No |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | No |
| North Dakota | Rarely | Rarely | Rarely |
| Ohio | Yes | Only under 21% ABV
|
Only under 21% ABV |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | No |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rhode Island | No | No | No |
| South Carolina | Yes | Yes | No |
| South Dakota | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | No |
| Texas | Yes | Yes | No |
| Utah | Up to 4% ABV only | Yes | No |
| Vermont | Yes | Yes | No |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | No |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe |
| Wyoming | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Does Whole Foods Sell Beer in Canada?
Whole Foods does not sell beer in their Canadian locations. In Canada, most provinces do not allow the sale of alcohol outside of government run liquor and beer stores. There are only 13 Whole Foods stores located in Canada and each is located in British Columbia or Ontario.
In British Columbia, beer can only be purchased from liquor stores/beer stores or government approved stores.
In Ontario they are slowly expanding the number of stores that are allowed to sell beer. However, Whole Foods still does not sell beer at this time as I called 3 of their locations and none of them sell beer. However, many of their locations have an LCBO nearby.
Does Whole Foods Sell Beer in the UK?
Yes, Whole Foods locations in the UK are allowed to sell beer so you are likely to find beer, wine, and spirits available.
In London, the Whole Foods is known to sell a large variety of beers which is great for people visiting, and especially the locals. In a great article “10 Things I Learned on a Trip to Whole Foods” from Eating Europe by Kenneth Dunn, you will find that Whole Foods sells a great “range of beer”.
Whole Foods Beer FAQs
Can you buy single beers at Whole Foods?
Most Whole Foods stores allow you to buy single beers, or to put beers into custom-made six packs. These are great for trying new beer because you don’t get stuck with extras if you don’t like something.
Most Whole Foods have a single bottle area for buying loose beer, but this may not be in the same place as the other beers. If you have trouble finding what you are looking for, an employee should be able to help.
What is the difference between lagers and IPAs?
Beers’ bitterness is measured in IBUs, an international ranking system determined by the number of hops used in the brewing process.
IPAs tend to be more flavorful beers with more than 40 IBU. Lagers however use more malt and fewer hops, making them milder. You can expect a larger to have anywhere between 20-40 IBU.
Final Thoughts
The beer department is a staple in many grocery stores, but Whole Foods once again goes above and beyond. Not only do they have over 200 products in their beer department, but these cater to a variety of tastes. You can buy a local microbrew, a big brand, or an imported beer.
Keep in mind that only certain Whole Foods Markets across the United States sell beer as local liquor laws may ban the sale of alcohol in private stores. If you know your local Walmart sells beer, then your Whole Foods in the same location likely sells beer too.
If you would like to try new beers from Whole Foods, asking for help from their Certified Beer Cicerones is a great choice. Good luck with your beer purchases!
