What began with the push to expand wine access in grocery stores has opened a broader conversation about how New York can modernize its alcohol laws. Legislative leaders will discuss how existing efforts can serve as a foundation for additional reforms that expand consumer choice, support New York businesses and producers, and create a more modern marketplace without leaving earlier priorities behind.

New Yorkers shop across grocery stores, bodegas, convenience stores and other retailers, yet the state’s alcohol laws often limit where products can be sold and how consumers can access them. Retailers representing businesses of different sizes will discuss how thoughtful distribution reforms can expand consumer choice, create new opportunities for neighborhood businesses and better reflect the realities of today’s retail marketplace.

Modernizing New York’s alcohol laws has implications beyond where products are sold. Researchers, producers and industry leaders will explore how reform could affect consumer affordability, New York agriculture and the state’s broader economy. The conversation will also preview the questions being examined in forthcoming economic-impact research and consider how modernization can create opportunities for consumers and businesses across the state.