(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Employee at the Cottonwood Heights state liquor store sorts through a big shipment of spirits Wednesday Nov. 22 to get it on the shelves. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically one of the busiest days for liquor sales in Utah. Customers typically line up outside before the 11 a.m. opening. Extra employees work to handle the holiday rush.
Utah sold $3.4 million in alcohol on Wednesday at 45-state owned liquor stores to set a record for the day before Thanksgiving.
Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control released sales figures Thursday that show about 347,000 bottles were sold on a day when residents packed the stores to load up before the holiday.
Agency officials say the big day still fell just short of the all-time single day record set on Dec. 23, 2016. On that day, the state sold $3.7 million in liquor with 351,000 bottles purchased.
Sales were brisk for several days ahead of Thanksgiving, with sales also eclipsing $2 million on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday.
Liquor stores are closed on Thanksgiving but reopen Friday.