In March, when Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closure of all nonessential businesses due to coronavirus, many New Jerseyans were pleasantly surprised to find out that liquor stores would actually be considered essential—PHEW. We dodged a bullet there on that one. I have to admit, I was little nervous there myself, and by a little, I mean a lot.
Despite the proclamation that liquor stores would in fact stay open, the stockpiling commenced and customers started clearing the shelves. Trying to limit the amount of time in public, it made sense to a lot of people to buy way more than they thought they needed...
Turns out, people started drinking that stockpile and needed to replace it far sooner than anticipated. Whether it's to unwind from the stress of worrying about the pandemic, an increase in Zoom happy hours to maintain a social life with friends—quite frankly I'm shocked at how much my virtual calendar has been filling up—or a way to combat the sheer boredom of staying home 24/7, alcohol consumption is definitely up, and so are the memes on Facebook.
For me personally, drinking has always been a highly social activity. I also use it as a reward, for a week of healthy living and "good behavior." While pre-pandemic I used to wait until closer to bedtime to hit the bottle, now by 4 p.m. on Saturday I've got the itch. I look at my husband wide-eyed and ask, "So you wanna hangout?" Let's just say he never disappoints. Like all things, my kids inevitably interrupt my good time with incessant chatter and non-stop demands *sigh* but such is life.
Some local liquor stores have stepped up to the plate in terms of both safety and convenience. So don't fret. If you visit one of these places below, you'll be able to stock back up on your essential need and keep the good times rolling.
Ashton Brewing Company
600 Lincoln Blvd, Middlesex
Ashton Brewing is offering takeout and delivery. You can order online or call the brewery at 732-694-1221. There is a $3 delivery charge and $20 order minimum. You can also email orders to delivery@ashtonbrewing.com.
Please supply the following information in your email: name, phone number, which date you want delivery, address and what you would like to order. Please email by Thursday evening for Friday delivery, and by Friday evening for Saturday delivery.
Super Saver
888 US-22, Somerville
Grab and go! Order online and pickup in the store. Shop online or call for curbside pickup at (908) 722-6700.
Bridgewater Beer Wine Liquor Warehouse
73 Union Ave, Bridgewater
Curbside and store pick up is available. Call before showing up and your order will be ready for you.
Discover Wine
66 W Main St, Somerville
To purchase wine call the shop at (908) 707-9463 and leave a message on the answering machine. They will call you back to arrange a time for pick up.
VintEdge Wine & Spirits
115 West Main St., Somerville
At VintEdge Wine & Spirits they have implemented the following procedures:
- Limited customers in the store at a time.
- At the door, every customer will receive a squirt of hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer containers are also located at both registers for customer use at checkout.
- At the door, a team member will sanitizes a cart/basket for each customer entering the store who needs one.
- Encouraging the use of credit cards to help limit the risk of exposure.
For Curbside Pick-up call (908) 575 2722 to order ahead. They will bring the order out to your car.
Of course, always remember to drink responsibly! Know of any other liquor stores offering great service right now? Reach out and let me know at tiffany.slowinski@lifestylepubs.com.