Latest news with #RobertMellion

Boston Globe

How Boston's liquor stores are dealing with the sobering reality of Dry January

This year, the hooch hiatus coincided with a Advertisement Meanwhile, trends such as higher price tags from distributors, the rise of recreational cannabis, and the permanent installation of cocktails-to-go on Massachusetts restaurant menus have also battered liquor stores' profits, said Robert Mellion, executive director of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association. 'Dry January, in and of itself, has never been a big issue,' Mellion said. 'It's all of these together that makes it impossible for somebody to be able to make a living for themself.' So, to try to make limoncello out of lemons and cater to these temporary teetotalers, many liquor stores are — like Just look to Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville, where an advertisement for Athletic Brewing Company, a popular nonalcoholic beer variety, beckons from a window display. Inside, sober-curious customers can find a hearty selection of zero-proof wines, beers, and spirits. At a tasting event early on in the month, a nonalcoholic margarita and aperitif were Advertisement An advertisement for Athletic Brewing Company in the window of Ball Square Fine Wines in Somerville. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff The top three shelves in this case at Ball Square Fine Wines contain nonalcoholic beers. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff 'When you see this trend increasing and people are asking for it, you definitely pay more attention to support more products,' said Ball Square Fine Wines owner Chris Lianos. The store sees the highest sales of nonalcoholic drinks during January, said Lianos, who estimated they account for about 7 to 9 percent of total sales for the month, compared with about 3 to 4 percent of sales over the summer. At Blanchards, too, sales of nonalcoholic products jump in January, and they've bulked up their inventory over the last few years. 'You have to keep up with the times. It's what people do now,' Denson said. But not every liquor store is as quick to pivot. 'The first week, it's like going to the gym — it's a New Year's resolution,' said Gary Park, who runs Gary's Liquors in Chestnut Hill. 'And I always joke that a resolution is like a wine glass. They're both easy to break.' Park said he's often unimpressed by the taste of nonalcoholic options and doesn't want to be saddled with too much zero-proof inventory once people get back on the sauce in February. But he does miss the days when a deep NFL playoff run offset any abstainers. 'Dry January never meant anything when the Patriots were good,' he said. 'Every single weekend in January used to be action-packed.' At Huntington Wine & Spirits, near Northeastern University, Dry January is hardly a new phenomenon. 'I've been here 36 years, and January has always been a slow month,' said owner Steven Rubin, who also blamed the frigid temperatures. But unlike at other stores, he said he doesn't see a bump in sales for nonalcoholic products during the month, so he just waits it out until Valentine's Day brings its rosé rush. Advertisement 'Alright, so January, we cut back a little. But guess what? January's over, February starts,' he said. 'It's amazing what happens.' In the meantime, Dray Drinks, an exclusively nonalcoholic bottle shop, is more than happy to pick up any lost liquor business. Owner Pat Dooling founded Dray in the South End in November 2023 and opened a new location in Cambridge's Central Square just before the start of 2025. A display of alcohol-free wines at Dray Drinks in the South End in 2023. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'There was no way I was going to let it not open in January,' Dooling said. 'January is kind of our one shot in the year to really grab people's attention.' Dooling said that he expects Dray — where shelves are stocked with faux tipples with names like Undrunken Noodles and Buzzkill — to have an 'as big or bigger' Dry January this year than last, with the month bringing in two to three times its normal sales level. But the business has also been growing year-round, he said, which he's taken to mean that some customers are choosing to stay dry — or at least, 'The nice thing about Dry January for us is it's free marketing for us,' he said. 'We don't have to do anything, and people will just show up.' Dana Gerber can be reached at