Yes, you can buy beer on Sunday in Minnesota. Liquor stores sell beer, wine, and spirits from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores can sell 3.2 percent beer starting at 10:00 a.m.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale Bars and restaurants pour from 8:00 a.m. Sunday through 2:00 a.m. Monday. A few restrictions still catch shoppers off guard.
Liquor Store Hours
Off-sale liquor stores are open on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale That’s a shorter window than Monday through Saturday, when the same stores can sell from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The 6:00 p.m. Sunday cutoff is the one people miss most often. If you want a craft IPA or anything stronger than 3.2 percent, a liquor store is your only option.
Grocery and Convenience Stores
Grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores in Minnesota can only sell 3.2 percent malt liquor, which works out to roughly 4 percent alcohol by volume. That’s weaker than most standard beers on liquor store shelves. Bills to allow stronger beer in grocery stores have been introduced but have not passed.
Sunday sales of 3.2 percent beer are prohibited between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., so these stores open for beer an hour before liquor stores do.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale After 10:00 a.m., regular daily hours apply.
Bars and Restaurants
Bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, clubs, and hotels with at least 30 seats can serve beer, wine, and spirits on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. through 2:00 a.m. Monday. Sunday on-sale service has to happen alongside food service, and the establishment needs a Sunday liquor license in addition to its regular on-sale license.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale A city can only issue those Sunday licenses if local voters have approved Sunday sales in an election. Most cities have, but availability technically depends on where you are.
Holidays That Override Sunday Hours
Certain holidays shut down off-sale entirely, no matter the day. Liquor stores cannot sell alcohol on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, and they must stop by 8:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale When Christmas or Thanksgiving falls on a Sunday, the holiday closure overrides the normal Sunday hours. Bars and restaurants are not subject to the same holiday closures, so you can still order a drink at a restaurant on those days.
Local Hours May Be Shorter
State law sets the outer limits for alcohol sales, but cities can narrow the window. A municipality can restrict off-sale or on-sale hours below what the state allows, though it cannot permit sales during hours the state prohibits.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 340A.504 – Hours and Days of Sale Any local restriction on intoxicating liquor on-sale hours applies equally to 3.2 percent beer. Before a Sunday run, check whether your city closes earlier than the state defaults.