I don't know if this phenomenon existed anywhere except the great State of Alabama, but when I was a kid there were no Liquor Stores. There were State Stores, which were liquor stores run by the State. And they were only located in major cities in wet counties, which were few and far between. Some of the surliest old bastards you've ever seen in your life (imagine Lester Maddox after a digital rectal exam) worked in there.
I didn't think about the revenue at the time, but when State Stores gave way to retail liquor stores, the politicos of my home state must have lost a fortune in future revenue. That probably hurt George Wallace more than being shot.