How Arlington Went From Refusing Liquor Licenses to Asking for More
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
On Monday, Oct. 5, the Arlington Select Board voted unanimously to award two new package-store licenses, with no discussion. That quiet vote ended the last open question about a change that took the town most of a century. Arlington Center Fine Wines will open at 5 Medford St., and Ruby Wine and Spirits will open at 1340-1342 Mass. Ave., according to YourArlington. Those two shops bring the town's total to eight.
The same month, the town's own brewery still has no permanent home. Arlington Brewing Co. has its permits, its plans and an address. The warehouse at that address is still waiting to be turned into a brewery and taproom. So this Saturday, the place to drink an Arlington-made beer in Arlington is a sand beach at the Reservoir.
For most of the 20th century, the limit on where you could buy or drink alcohol here was the town vote. In 2026 the vote is settled, and the limit is leases, contractors and financing.
Arlington's history with alcohol licensing is a series of votes, each one opening the door a little wider than the last. A YourArlington historical account traces the record.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1940 | Arlington rejected liquor licensing |
| November 1964 | Voters defeated restaurant alcohol licensing by a 5-to-1 margin |
| 1978 | Voters allowed alcohol licenses for up to five restaurants with at least 99 seats |
| 1993 and after | A 1993 Town Meeting proposal led to a ballot question at the following town election allowing beer and wine at restaurants under 99 seats, with looser parking requirements; it passed 70% to 29% |
| 2025 | Town Meeting voted 112 to 92 to ask the state for two more package-store licenses |
| March 2026 | Voters approved those two licenses, 9,497 to 3,833 |
| Oct. 5, 2026 | The Select Board awarded the licenses |
Compare the two ballot results that bookend this history. In 1964, Arlington voters rejected restaurant licensing by five to one. On the March 28, 2026 ballot, 71.25% voted yes to more off-premises stores selling beer, wine and spirits. The margin flipped completely in about six decades, and the 2026 result wasn't close.
Adding two stores still took years because Massachusetts controls the process. As YourArlington explained before the March vote, a town that wants more package-store licenses needs a bill passed by the Legislature. The state limit cited for Arlington was 20 off-premises licenses. The town has historically kept its own quota well below that.
Town officials gave one practical reason for raising the cap. When licenses are scarce, they get traded privately. Adding licenses could cut down on that trading and give the town more say over who gets one. Getting there took a 2025 Town Meeting vote, a request to the state, a town election and a set of public hearings.
One more state rule affected who won. Massachusetts law bars anyone from holding more than one package-store license in the same town. Three applicants competed for the two licenses. A third application, for Peter Pan Superette at 2 Park Ave., was withdrawn after the Select Board discussed whether that rule applied. With one applicant out, two remained, and the board approved both.
The two addresses sit at opposite ends of Mass. Ave.'s commercial stretch, and each owner described a different goal.
Neither shop has announced an opening date. The licenses give them the right to sell. The storefronts still need to be built out and stocked, which is the work Giglio was talking about.
Arlington Brewing Co. shows how long the work after approval can take. Founder Tom Allen signed the lease at 15 Ryder St. in August 2024. The site is a warehouse built in 1946 that once housed Coneely Contracting. It sits just off Mass. Ave., next to the town recycling yard and near the Minuteman Bikeway.
The original plan included a 1,000-square-foot addition and a mezzanine. The full renovation turned out to cost too much. On Feb. 9, the Redevelopment Board voted 4 to 1 to let the brewery build in two phases. The first phase is the taproom, brewhouse, kitchen and beer garden inside the existing building. The addition and mezzanine come later. YourArlington covered that hearing, where about 40 people attended.
In a March interview with YourArlington, Allen said the project had moved from design into contractor pricing at the end of February. He was careful about naming a date.
"I hesitate to even put a date out there, because every time I [do] it's been wrong, by a lot… But I'll say I'm pretty confident once we start building, we'll be able to open maybe four to six months after."
The brewery's own visit page still says "Opening in 2026." It also says the company hasn't broken ground yet. Permits are in hand, designs are being finalized and financing is underway. The page is undated, so it may lag behind work happening at the site. But if construction began this month, Allen's own estimate would put opening sometime between February and April 2027.
That gap matters more because of what the brewery is already making. Its Trafford pub ale won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup, according to the company's site. Its beers carry local names like Foxy Librarian, Menotomator and Whittemore. An award-winning brewery with a hometown following is still pouring at outdoor events.
Without a taproom, Arlington Brewing has relied on public events. YourArlington has reported it pouring regularly at an outdoor area at the Reservoir and at the Arlington Historical Society's outdoor music events in Arlington Center. In April, it sold beer at the Menotomy Beer Hall, hosted by the Historical Society, the town and the Arts and Culture Commission.
The next chance is this weekend. Arlington Recreation's second annual Arlingtoberfest runs as follows, per the town's event listing:
The town page doesn't list prices, and the brewery's own event page says more details are coming. Check both before you go.
As of this week, Town Meeting and the voters have both backed more package-store licenses since 2025. Two new shops have licenses but no opening dates. The brewery has a permit, an approved two-phase plan, a gold medal and a lease more than two years old. And the beer itself is still served from a beach.
Licenses, permits and timing decide what a commercial property in Arlington is worth, whether the business inside is a wine shop or a brewery. If you own a mixed-use or investment property along Mass. Ave. and want to know how this year's changes might affect its value, Guy Contaldi can prepare a valuation or set up a consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
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