The Alcohol laws of Tennessee are unique in that they vary considerably by county. Local government jurisdictions (counties & municipalities) in Tennessee by default are dry and do not allow the sales of liquor or wine. These governments must amend the laws to allow for liquor-by-the-drink sales and retail package stores. In many cases, the county may be dry, but a municipality is wet. Selling beer does not impact a dry or wet designation. This list may not reflect recent changes. Visit the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) website for more information http://www.state.tn.us/abc/commission%20matters%20-%20lead%20page.html
Here is a list of dry and wet counties in the State of Tennessee.
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In a "Dry County", neither the county nor any municipality in the county permits liquor sales of any type:
The designation of a "wet county" applies to unincorporated areas within the county only, as municipalities may vary. The designation covers retail packages of alcohol unless otherwise specified:
The state's four largest cities--Memphis (Shelby), Nashville (Davidson), Knoxville (Knox) and Chattanooga (Hamilton)--are located in "wet counties".
In a "Limited county" at least 1 municipality within the county (not the unincorporated portions of the county) permits alcohol package sales or liquor-by-the-drink. Visit the Tennessee ABC website for specifics:
Source: Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission