ALBANY — In a move to align with the serving hours of restaurants, liquor stores will soon be permitted to open at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon. This change has been approved by the state Legislature and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul. The alteration is part of a series of alcohol-related measures that were passed by the state Senate and Assembly towards the end of the legislative session.
One of the other approved measures will allow for the sale of beer at retail stores around the clock, removing the previous restriction that prohibited sales from 3 to 8 a.m. on Sundays.
A bill to allow supermarkets to sell wine is still under consideration in committee, along with other proposed reforms. The legislative session officially ended last Saturday, but Assembly members are expected to reconvene later this month to address unfinished business.
State Sen. James Skoufis, a vocal advocate for alcohol law reform, expressed disappointment with the overall outcome, noting that only minor changes were accomplished.
In addition to extending the operating hours of liquor stores, the new regulations will allow them to remain open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. However, some counties, such as Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady, still require a 9 p.m. closing time every day of the week. Counties have the authority to implement more restrictive hours for the sale of wine and liquor, compared to the state’s window of 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. for bars and 8 a.m. to midnight for liquor stores Monday to Saturday.
The new laws regarding extended Sunday store hours and beer sales will go into effect immediately once signed by Gov. Hochul. At present, the bills have been passed but have not yet been sent to the governor.
Owners of two prominent liquor stores in Albany County have announced their plans to open before noon on Sundays once the bill becomes law. Craig Allen of All Star Wine & Spirits in Latham intends to shift the opening hour to 11 a.m. for most Sundays, reserving 10 a.m. only for the day before holiday Mondays and from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. Brad Junco of Empire Wine in Colonie plans to change the regular opening time to 10 a.m.
During the final days of the legislative session, several narrower alcohol-related bills were passed. These bills allow Cornell University and SUNY Broome community college to produce beer, spirits, cider, wine, and mead as part of their agriculture programs. They also enable liquor stores to sell promotional items like branded gift baskets with alcohol and related glassware (though not complementary food items), extend the duration of certain manufacturing licenses, and create exceptions for alcohol sales within 200 feet of a house of worship, which are typically grounds for liquor license denial.
Skoufis’ omnibus bill, which encompasses many significant changes recommended by a reform commission last month, is still being reviewed by the committee. The proposed changes include allowing bars and restaurants to purchase alcohol from liquor stores, not just wholesalers or manufacturers, and permitting liquor store owners to operate multiple stores.
Skoufis acknowledged that he did not have high expectations for the omnibus bill to pass but expressed his intention to set the stage for future discussions in the next session.
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