Five Groton Stores Sell Alcohol to Minors During Compliance Check

The bad news? Five Groton stores sold alcohol to minors during a compliance check Saturday. The good news?  Twelve did not.

Agents from the state Department of Consumer Protection Liquor Control Division and officers from the Groton Town Police and the Groton City Police conducted compliance checks in Groton, including Mystic and Noank. Eighteen grocery stores and package stores were tested for compliance and of those, five failed by allegedly selling alcohol to a volunteer minor who had been trained and provided by the Governor’s Prevention Partnership.  The five stores that allegedly failed are:

• Eastern Point Wine and Liquor, Groton
• Bridge Package Store, Groton
• Super Stop & Shop, Groton
• Haley Brook Market, Mystic
• Universal Package Store, Noank

Routine compliance checks help identify businesses that knowingly or unknowingly sell alcohol to minors and bring them back into compliance with state law. However, compliance checks are not intended to hurt local businesses.

“We don’t try to trick or entice establishments to sell alcoholic beverages to youth,” Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said. 

“If asked for proof of age before making a liquor purchase, the volunteer youth will hand over his or her actual photo I.D., which clearly indicates that they are underage," Rubenstein said in a statement.

The businesses that allegedly sold to a minor will be brought before the Liquor Control Commission for an administrative hearing, at which time they will have an opportunity to address the charges.

The following stores were in compliance and did not sell alcohol to the underage decoy:

Mini Mart, Rt. 12, Groton

Ackley’s Package Store, Fort Hill Road, Groton

Grand Spirits I, Poquonnock Road, Groton

The Grape Vine, Long Hill Road, Groton

Hilltop Wine and Spirit, North Street, Groton

Old Mystic Wine Cellar, Gold Star Highway, Mystic

Oak Tree Wine and Spirits, Gold Star Highway, Groton

Star Discount Liquors, Gold Star Highway, Groton

Groton Liquors, Rt. 12, Groton

Grand Spirits II, Rt. 12, Groton

Big Y, Poquonnock Road, Groton

Full of Spirit Package, Poquonnock Road, Groton

According to Town Police Lt. John W. Varone, Detective Commander, the compliance checks were made possible through funding from the Groton Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.