Off-Premises Licenses

The Burlington Board of Selectmen was recently informed that the Massachusetts Alcohol Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) had to enforce a 30-day liquor license suspension to Burlington Wine & Spirits on 43 Middlesex Turnpike. The establishment, which is located next to Market Basket, is being penalized because of violations with the storage and transportation of wholesale […]

The Needham Times reports that Blanchard’s is one of several businesses that have sent in an application for alcohol licenses in Needham. The other businesses that have turned in applications are Craft Liquors of Needham, Needham Wine & Spirits, Needham Center Wine & Spirits and Volante Farms. Owners of the Belmont-based beer store Craft Beer […]

The Dedham Selectmen are not pleased with the greatly reduced hours of one Dedham Square business, criticizing the owner for spending too much time at his Norwood store and not enough serving the good people of Dedham. The Board is hoping the owner will change his ways.

The Lynn Daily Item reports that two downtown market owners want to sell beer and wine in their store but the police chief and the Lynn shelter’s director object to the plan. Police Chief Kevin Coppinger said Contreras Market’s plans represent “a step backwards” from efforts to prevent intoxicated individuals from using the shelter, located […]

The Wegmans at Westwood Station was supposed to end New England’s long wait for the grocery chain. That was four years ago. The company, based in the Rochester, N.Y., area, had to defeat numerous challenges in the Massachusetts Legislature to secure a liquor license. But the economy soured and the Westwood Station project still hasn’t […]

Some news here about Brookline and the prospect of additional lincenses.

The Boston Globe reports that the town of Sharon may soon allow stores to sell hard liquor for the first time, if Town Meeting approves the measure. Under existing policy, restaurants can be licensed to serve all types of alcoholic beverages, but stores are limited to beer and wine. The article before Town Meeting calls […]

The Boston Globe reports that Foxborough selectmen approved an all-liquor license for a Trader Joe’s supermarket scheduled to open in Patriot Place later this year. The unanimous decision was made this week on the condition the company agrees not to sell alcohol during events at Gillette Stadium, that it won’t stock containers of alcoholic beverages […]

The Daily Gazette reports that the Amherst Select Board agreed with opponents to the Cumberland Farms convenience store at 35 Belchertown Road selling beer and wine, and unanimously turned down its request for a license. Among the reasons cited by the board were a determination that there is no need for additional alcohol sales in […]

The Bourne Courier reports that the Selectmen have voted to reject a request by All Bourne Liquors Inc. to triple the space at Monument Wine & Spirits Shop in the nearly vacant shopping center off Clay Pond Road, Monument Beach. But the board did not vote to transfer the package store license to the firm […]

The Newton Tab reports that in a unanimous vote, the Newton Licensing Board has denied a beer and wine license for a new Star Market supermarket on Boylston Street. During a public hearing on Feb. 21, licensing commissioners Martina Jackson and James Mitchell agreed that Star Market is a good corporate citizen, but said the […]

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would allow package stores to open the day after Christmas – a measure that would remove one of the last remaining Colonial-era blue laws restricting alcohol sales. Current state law requires package stores to close Monday when Christmas falls on a Sunday, which means package stores […]

After alcohol industry insiders struck a deal to permit supermarkets and other large retailers to gradually acquire more alcoholic beverage licenses, their proposal sailed through the Legislature this month and Gov. Deval Patrick agreed to it this week, signing the new legislation. Under the new law, sponsored by Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, the cap on […]

The Senate has approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow supermarkets and other large retailers to hold more alcoholic beverage licenses. The proposal increases the current cap of three to five in 2012, seven in 2016 and nine in 2020. The measure also would require stores to pay a $5,000 fee […]

Plans to open a Wines & More liquor store in the former Borders Bookstore at 497 Turnpike Road (Route 9) have been put on hold. The store was part of the bankruptcy proceedings involving Borders, the national bookstore chain that went out of business earlier this year. Wines & More had negotiated a lease with […]

The Boston Globe reports that industry groups have struck a compromise to allow more grocery and package stores to sell alcohol. I think this is wise. Currently, stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, as well as liquor stores owned by the same company or person, can only sell alcohol at three locations across the […]

Police surveillance of liquor stores and restaurants has resulted in multiple arrests of underage persons for purchasing of alcohol and a five-day liquor license suspension for Powdermill Road business Millstream Liquors in Maynard. Over a five-week period, officers witnessed the sale of liquor to underage patrons at Millstream Liquors. In three instances, the customer was […]

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that the town of Easthampton is one step closer to having its first licensed brewery in the town; the brewery plans to grow hops on site.

To prevent alcohol sales to youths, the Allston-Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force recently hosted a retailer training for local liquor stores at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Representatives from 11 stores participated in the three-hour session led by Frank Connelly of the Cambridge Prevention Coalition, a community-based substance abuse prevention coalition. Topics covered at the training […]

Connecticut residents have a new reason to cross state lines in to Massachusetts. First, it was cheaper gas, now it is cheaper liquor. Connecticut has raised its liquor tax by 20% effective July 1. Employees at liquor stores near the state line have reported an increase in business. Gas prices are also hovering over the […]

Good piece in the Patriot Ledger about the increase in the number of wineries in Massachusetts. The Globe wrote about this last month, as reflected in my July 26 blog post. There are now a record 36 wineries operating across the state, including seven that have opened since 2007.