East Cobb keeps things fairly straightforward when it comes to buying a drink. If you’re 21 or older, alcohol is available seven days a week at restaurants, bars, breweries, and retail stores. You can sit down for a cocktail, grab a six-pack on the way home, or pick up a bottle for later. No treasure map required, though a little local knowledge helps.
Where Can You Buy Alcohol?
Start with the basics. Grocery stores, gas stations, warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s, plus convenience stores all can sell beer and wine. If you’re after liquor, you’ll need to visit a liquor store or a distillery.
Liquor stores in Georgia are privately owned and licensed to sell everything from bourbon to Bordeaux. Distilleries and breweries offer both on-site drinks and to-go options, which makes them a good middle ground if you want to enjoy a drink now and maybe take home something for later.
East Cobb has one brewery, Round Trip Brewing Company, while several other breweries are just a short drive away. No shortage of options if hops are involved.
Can You Buy Liquor at places like Costco or Total Wine?
Here’s where Georgia law steps in and complicates things a bit.
No individual or company can own more than two liquor stores in the entire state. That’s why large retailers like Costco and Total Wine can sell beer and wine at all locations, but liquor only at select stores.
For East Cobb:
- The closest Costco does not sell liquor
- The two closest Total Wine locations do sell liquor
It’s one of those rules that feels like it belongs in a different decade, but it’s still very much in effect.
What Is a “Package Store”?
If someone tells you to head to a “package store,” they mean a liquor store.
The term dates back to post-Prohibition laws requiring alcohol to be sold in sealed containers. The idea was to prevent tampering and keep things tidy, which also led to the long-standing habit of placing purchases in brown paper bags or boxes. That part has stuck around, and liquor stores in East Cobb still bag every bottle before it leaves the counter.
Retail Alcohol Sales Hours
If you’re buying alcohol to take home:
- Liquor (package sales):
Monday to Saturday: 8 am to 11:45 pm
Sunday: 12:30 pm to 11:30 pm - Beer and Wine (package sales):
Monday to Friday: 6 am to 2 am
Saturday: 6 am to midnight
Sunday: 12:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Yes, beer and wine start earlier. Coffee has competition.
On-Premise Drinking Hours
For restaurants, bars, and similar spots:
- Monday to Friday: 6 am to 2 am
- Saturday: 8 am to 2:55 am
- Sunday: 11 am to midnight
Sunday mornings used to be a dry affair. That changed with Georgia’s “Brunch Bill,” which now allows drinks starting at 11 am. With that law change, Mimosas secured their rightful place at the table.
A Quick Note on Sunday Sales
For years, Sunday alcohol sales were restricted under older laws. That shifted in Cobb County in 2012 when package sales became legal on Sundays. Later, the 2018 Brunch Bill expanded when restaurants could start serving drinks.
In other words, the rules have loosened over time, even if they still have a few quirks.
Can Alcohol Be Delivered?
Yes. Services like Instacart, Uber Eats, and Drizly will bring beer, wine, or liquor to your door.
Someone age 21 or older with a valid ID must be present at delivery. No exceptions, no leaving it on the porch, no creative negotiations.
Can You Drink Outside?
Generally, open containers are not allowed in places like parks, government properties, or most public spaces in East Cobb.
There are nearby areas that do allow it. Marietta Square, Downtown Roswell, and Kennesaw have designated districts where you can walk around with a drink purchased from a participating business.
Closer to home, Avenue East Cobb allows alcohol purchased from its restaurants to be enjoyed within the center, including the center plaza area. It’s not a full open container district, but it gets pretty close without the extra rules.
Festivals are their own category. Events like Taste of Marietta and various beer and wine festivals allow drinks within the event footprint, which tends to make for a lively afternoon and a strong case for using a rideshare.
The Bottom Line
East Cobb makes it easy to find a drink, with a few Georgia-specific rules sprinkled in. Beer and wine are widely available, liquor requires a dedicated stop, and Sundays are no longer off-limits.
While some parts of Georgia still have limited or local ‘dry’ restrictions on alcohol sales, Cobb County is fully ‘wet,’ meaning beer, wine, and liquor are all available under the guidelines above. Once you know where to go and when to go, the system works. It may not be perfect, but it gets the job done, which is really all most people are asking for.
Questions about any of this?
Just ask in the comments section below, and we will get back to you.
