Can you buy alcohol on Christmas Day in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts law does not allow retail alcohol sales on Christmas Day, so package stores in Boston, including The Wild Duck at 86 Massachusetts Ave, are closed on Friday, December 25, 2026. The way to handle it is to buy ahead, and this guide sets out what to pick up beforehand and how to plan the visit.

Can you buy alcohol on Christmas Day in Massachusetts?

No, you cannot buy alcohol from a package store on Christmas Day in Massachusetts. State law does not permit retail sales on that day, which means liquor stores in Boston, Cambridge and Brookline are closed on Friday, December 25, 2026.

The rule applies to every shop in the state, so driving to another town will not change the answer. The Wild Duck, at 86 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, follows the same rule as every other package store.

Rules and licence conditions can be updated, so if you want to be certain, check the current guidance from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, known as the ABCC. It is the state body that oversees alcohol licensing and sales.

Are Boston liquor stores open on Christmas Eve?

Most package stores in Boston open on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, but hours vary from shop to shop and can differ from a normal day. Check the hours of any store before you travel.

At The Wild Duck, our regular opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Holiday hours can differ from the regular schedule, so confirm our hours for Christmas Eve before you plan your trip.

If your shopping list is long, do not leave it to the last evening. Visiting a few days earlier gives you time to choose calmly, and it leaves room to swap a bottle if something is not quite right.

What should you buy before Christmas Day?

Buy everything you will want for Christmas Day by Christmas Eve at the latest: something sparkling for the toast, a spirit or two for the evening, liqueurs and mixers for cocktails, and snacks for the table. Once the shops close, nothing on that list can be topped up until the following day.

A useful way to plan is to count the people at the table and the moments in the day. There is usually a first drink on arrival, a drink with the meal, and something for the afternoon or evening. Planning around those three moments keeps the list short and avoids buying duplicates.

The Wild Duck has more than 4,500 products in stock across more than 700 brands, so most of this list can be finished in one visit. Our holiday gift guide is a good place to start if some of it is for giving.

Which sparkling wine should you pick up for Christmas Day?

Sparkling wine is the usual Christmas Day opener, and you can choose from several styles. Sparkling wine covers Champagne, Prosecco, cava and other bottle-fermented and tank-fermented styles, and each one tastes different.

In general terms, Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France and is made by a second fermentation in the bottle. Cava is Spanish and is made the same way, which gives it a dry, crisp character. Prosecco is Italian and is usually made in a tank, which tends to give fruitier, lighter bubbles. Our guide to cava explains the Spanish style in more detail.

Sparkling wine is best served cold, so put the bottle in the refrigerator the day before. If you are buying for a larger table, get one more bottle than you think you need, since a bottle that is not opened keeps well.

What spirits and liqueurs work for Christmas Day cocktails?

For a festive drink at home, a dark spirit and one or two liqueurs go a long way. Bourbon is a common base for warming drinks, and whiskey and Scotch suit slow sipping after dinner. Our guide to craft bourbon describes what we carry.

For cocktails, liqueur adds sweetness, herbs or citrus. CHARTREUSE Yellow Liqueur is a French herbal liqueur, and it is often used in small measures in stirred and shaken drinks. A triple sec is another useful bottle, and our page on De Kuyper triple sec explains how to use it.

If you drink cognac, our Hennessy page lists what we stock. Whatever you choose, pour sensibly and serve water and food alongside the drinks.

Which mixers do you need for Christmas Day?

A cocktail is only as good as what goes into it, and the mixers shelf is the part people most often forget until the shops are shut. Tonic, ginger beer, soda water and juices are the usual choices, and you should count on at least one mixer for every spirit you buy.

Fever-Tree is one of the mixer brands we carry. Ginger beer is the base of a Moscow mule, and our Moscow mule guide lists what to buy and how to make it. For a Bloody Mary on a Christmas morning, the Rokz Bloody Mary Lover Set covers the mixing side.

If you want a drink that needs no mixing at all, the ready-to-drink section has canned cocktails and similar drinks, and beer covers anyone who prefers a pint-style drink at the table.

What snacks and extras should you add to the basket?

Add snacks and a few extras before you leave, because the evening goes more smoothly with something to eat. Our snacks section includes items such as the Chica De Gallot Pepper Salsa, which suits a bowl on the table.

If some of the bottles are gifts, a thank you card can go with them, and our merchandise section has other items beyond drinks. A gift card is another option when you are not sure what a person would like.

For food pairing ideas, our page on chocolate and drink pairings suggests what goes with dessert after the meal.

Can you order pickup or delivery before Christmas?

You can order for in-store pickup or delivery ahead of the holiday, and The Wild Duck also offers shipping. For delivery, see our Boston delivery page, and we also serve Cambridge and Brookline.

Our regular pickup hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Regular delivery hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM and Sunday from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM. Holiday hours can differ, so confirm them for Christmas Eve before you place an order.

With the shop closed on Christmas Day, build your order around the whole holiday, not only the main meal. Allow time for pickup or delivery, and do not leave the order until the final hours.