Among several stops in the Monadnock Region on Tuesday, Gov. Chris Sununu attended the opening of a newly constructed New Hampshire Liquor & Wine outlet at the Cheshire Marketplace in Rindge to cut the ribbon on the new location, which doubled the size of the previous store.
The freestanding 10,500-square-foot store replaces the previous outlet in the same marketplace. It will have a selection of 3,600 wines and spirits.
Sununu was joined on Tuesday by New Hampshire Liquor Commission Chair Joseph W. Mollica, Liquor Deputy Commissioner Nicole Brassard Jordan, state Rep. John Hunt of Rindge, Ruby Wines CEO Brad Rubin and Sarah Oliver, representing Market Basket.
The updated store offers temperature- and humidity-controlled wine vaults, LED lighting, refrigerated cases and wider aisles. It is part of a larger movement by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to renovate, relocate and construct new outlets in more than 30 communities, including Claremont and New London in the past year, with ongoing construction of new outlets in Littleton and Concord.
New Hampshire is one of 17 states where the government controls the sale of alcohol. According to the state liquor commission, since the first New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet opened in 1934, more than $4 billion in net profits has been raised to fund programs including education, health and social services, transportation, natural resource protection, addiction treatment and prevention programs, including nearly $182.5 million in fiscal 2021.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.