The Southern Grocery Chain Where You Can Sip Wine And Beer While You Shop

Publix has been a grocery mainstay in the Southern United States since the 1930s, earning a loyal following by prioritizing customer experience and offering a robust food selection. The chain was the first supermarket in the United States to have air conditioning and automatic electric eye doors, innovations that helped define the modern grocery shopping experience. Now, Publix is once again testing the future of in-store amenities with the debut of Publix Pours, a bar concept that serves beer and wine inside select stores. Customers can drink at the bar or take their beverages with them as they browse the aisles. Wine is served by the glass and beer is available as a pint or poured into a growler to take home. Indecisive drinkers can even order beer in a flight of four sample-size glasses. 

Are in-store bars the future of grocery shopping? Mini food halls and "grocerants" — restaurants inside grocery stores — have become a popular supermarket trend in recent years. Publix already had cafes at many locations, serving coffee, espresso, smoothies, and açaí bowls, and this concept seems like a logical next step. Publix Pours has gotten a lot of buzz, with customers affectionately referring to one store as "Clublix" for the party vibe that the bar brings. It may beonly a matter of time before competitors catch up.

If you're a devoted Publix shopper, there's a chance you've already heard about Publix Pours. The Southern grocery staple is known for having built a cult following across the Southeast, from Virginia to Alabama, but tragically, you still can't sip a Merlot while you peruse produce at most of the store's locations. These in-store bars are still relatively new, with the first Pours opening at a Publix in Tallahassee, Florida, in 2018. 

As of November 2025, Publix Pours only has the taps flowing at select locations in Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. Whether this popular amenity will expand across the South to other Publix stores depends on state liquor laws. One thing is for sure, though: there is a thirst for more Pours. Some customers reportedly visit weekly for the bar, while others have driven dozens of miles out of their way just to experience it. 

Naturally, there are some rules you'll have to abide by when sipping alcohol during your shopping trip. All Pours locations are governed by local alcohol laws just like other bars, so it's important to drink in moderation and not drive home from your shopping trip under the influence. Florida also restricts public alcohol consumption with some exceptions in local jurisdictions, so don't walk into the parking lot with your pint. While most Publix stores sell bottles of alcohol out of their liquor sections, there are separate retail and serving licenses that govern this. In other words, you won't be able to buy a bottle of vodka and drink it on the premises.

So, what can you actually get to drink at Publix Pours? While beer and wine appear to be available at all locations, the exact menu can vary. One TikTok video showed nine wine options and 10 drafts that included both domestics and local craft beer at the Publix in Wellington, Florida. Conveniently, shopping carts come with drink holders for sipping on the go, and Pours doubles as a cafe, serving coffee drinks and snacks.