Brown Bags
Hey, every now and then even a wackball like me has to do a serious ditty.
I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this issue for a while now. I was always a fan of the word “packie.” You know, making a packie run, heading to the packie. I know it’s short for package store, but why in the hell do they call ‘em package stores in the first place?
I guess the way it goes is the state of Massachusetts didn’t want its citizens to be seen carrying disreputable liquor bottles on the street. So they mandated that liquor stores sell their goods in brown paper bags, or “packages.” And so that’s where the term package store came from. At least that’s what I’m told. Like anything involving hooch, there are a few different versions to the story.
I think they’re only called package stores in New England. And I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones who call ‘em packies. I even knew a kid who’s nickname was Packie. Probably because he made so many runs to the package store.
The most famous package store owner in Massachusetts was a guy named Whitey Bulger. He bought Stippo’s Liquor Mart, right across the street from a Catholic church, at a low price by holding the owner at gunpoint during the negotiations. He changed the name to Whitey’s South Boston Liquor Mart. In fact, it was in the packie’s beer cooler that Whitey was tipped off that he was gonna be indicted. He skipped town right after.
Speaking of skipping town, I’m headed up to Maine for the long weekend and I need to make a packie run before I hit the road. I’ll make sure they put my jug of punch in a brown bag.
Keep your dukes up.