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DROP ZONE

DURHAM ABC's

Drop Zone emerges as Durham ABC's newest approach to distributing allocated liquor consistently throughout Durham County. Every week, 100 bottles of allocated liquor arrive at a randomly selected DCABC store. The Drop can happen anytime, at various times and on random days!

 

Join the excitement. See the information below to get involved!

RULES

  • Drop lands randomly at one of our 10 stores once a week. (A list of upcoming available bourbons are posted on the News page before every weekly Drop. Click here to see the latest posts on our News page.)
     

  • As soon as our bottles are on the sales floor, the announcement for the Drop's location and time will be made available on our website via a temporary pop-up on the Homepage and a permanent post on our News page.
     

  • Every bottle will be monitored by our staff until purchased.
     

  • Limit one bottle per customer. (See more of our no hiding, no holding, no hogging policy below.)
     

  • DCABC store employees do not know which store will be picked or what time until it shows up. Please do not call the stores seeking information.

NO HIDING. NO HOLDING. NO HOGGING.

Limit of one bottle per customer. Bottles cannot be hidden for later purchase, held for employees or customers, or held for an unreasonable amount of time to prevent others from buying it.

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All customers must adhere to all traffic and safety laws when traveling to an allocated Bourbon Drop Zone site and when entering or navigating Durham County ABC parking lots, stores or other property.

Immaturity will not be entertained. Violation of the rules could result in an immediate ban from participation.

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  • Durham ABC employees will be allowed to participate in Drop Zone events following these rules:

    • Employees cannot work at the store where they purchase the bottle.

    • Employees must be off the clock to purchase a bottle.

    • Employees must be out of uniform to purchase a bottle.

    • Employees of the Administrative Office cannot purchase bottles.
       

  • What is the Drop Zone event? For that matter, what is allocated liquor?
    Allocated bourbon refers to limited-edition or hard-to-find bourbon releases that are not readily available on store shelves. These are often highly sought after by enthusiasts. This event involves the distribution of those items among participants. It happens once a week, at any random time during regular store hours.
  • Are there age restrictions for participants?
    Anyone buying liquor must be 21 years or older. Click here to see acceptable forms of I.D., per the NC ABC Commission.
  • Can I choose the bourbon I get?
    Certainly! You have your pick of any bottle still available when you arrive at the designated location. You can view the list of bourbons available on each incoming Drop by visiting our News page.
  • Do I need to pay to participate in the Drop?
    No. As with any other event held by Durham County ABC, participation is absolutely free and available to all Durham County residents.
  • What types of allocated bourbons are included in the Drop?
    We post the list of all bourbons available on the next drop as soon as possible, allowing participants to see if there is any items that catch their eye before making their way to the event. To see the latest list, visit our News page.
  • I went to the store location and didn't find the liquor listed.
    Because of the demand for allocated liquor, most of the items sell within an hour of the Drop. Don't get discouraged! If you miss the Drop this week, there is always next.
  • Does the Drop number have anything to do with the Store it is being dropped on?
    No! The number of the Drop has nothing to do with where or when it will land. We number the Drops to help keep track of the weeks.
  • Can I bring a friend or family member to pick up the bourbon on my behalf?
    Absolutely. As long as the limit one per customer and no hiding, no holding, no hogging rules are being followed, any individual over age 21 can make a purchase.
  • What happens if I miss the Drop?
    Don't get discouraged, there is always next week! Randomizing the Drop time and day each week does not only benefit our unpredictability, but also allows people of all schedules to participate. So if you had a prior event or just couldn't make the Drop this week, keep an eye on our website for the next one! Good luck!
  • What if I prefer the old ways of distributing allocated liquor?
    We have no intention of stopping our other events! Our Annual Bourbon Lotteries (for retail and Mixed Beverage customers), our store openings, and special events will still continue. Drop Zone allows a way for Durham ABC to distribute allocated consistently throughout the year. It is DCABC's newest method of making allocated bourbon available to Durham County residents, but it is not the last!
  • I suspect this information is being leaked! I got there after 15 minutes and none of the good stuff was left!
    Our management operations team, being the first on-site, observe the store for any signs of customers waiting or lines forming. No queues have been spotted yet. This is great news! It lets us know that the process and our discretion is working. However, it should be noted that within 15-20 minutes many of popular items have been claimed. This is attributed to the fact that most Durham residents can travel across the city within this time frame. Don't be discouraged! There is always next week.
  • Can I sign up to get notifications of the Drop on my email or phone?
    No. Creating a way to get notifications for the Drops offers an unfair advantage that we hope to avoid. The only way to see when the drop has been made available is by checking the durhamabc.com website. The Drop notification will be available as a temporary pop-up on our Homepage and it will be posted as a permanent post on our News page. The information will include the DCABC store information where the Drop is landing, as well as the date and the time of the Drop.
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