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Voyageur Bottle Shop

The City of Pine City Municipal Liquor Store, Voyageur Bottle Shop is located at 205 Main Street S, Pine City, MN 55063. The municipal liquor store is owned by the City of Pine City, operates in order to help offset general City expenses with the liquor store's revenue. 
 
Our Staff will not sell to people who appear to be 40 years old and younger without a Valid Identification card proving that the customer is of legal age. The Liquor Store Staff  will not sell liquor to individuals that are obviously intoxicated will not be allowed to purchase alcohol from our Store.
 
The only forms of Valid ID that our municipal liquor Staff will accept are: State issued driver’s license, State issued identification card, Passport, or military identification card.
 
 
Information on Municipal Liquor Stores 
  • Municipal liquor stores started after Prohibition as a means for cities to control the distribution of alcohol in their communities. Later, cities found their municipal liquor store could be a method of generating needed non-tax revenue. Today, the purpose of municipal liquor stores is to "control the distribution of alcohol - while simultaneously generating income for the community."
  • "Controlling the sale of alcohol" is different than "responsible service." All alcohol sellers should serve responsibly - don't sell to underage or intoxicated individuals. Controlling the sale of alcohol means reflecting a community attitude - often resulting in a strategic and publicly supported reduction in liquor operation revenue.
  • Off-sale municipal liquor operations have geographic exclusivity but not competitive exclusivity.
  • There are over 225 cities with off-sale or on-sale / off-sale combination municipal liquor operations, operating approximately 260 facilities. Sales range from approximately $100,000 to over $15 million per year. Total annual sales are approximately $250 million with total annual profits of approximately $20 million. Profits are used by cities for general fund activities or special projects including recreation programs, elderly transportation and public safety equipment.
  • Sales have increased over the past decade and the trend is continuing.
  • The strong trend in large cities and small towns is to remodel and / or expand existing facilities and build new facilities.
  • Municipal liquor operations can advertise, promote, price etc. like independently owned operators. However, because of the "alcohol control" element, municipal liquor operators may choose not to engage in certain, otherwise legal, activities.