Those of you who like to knock one back now and again will be happy to learn that premium wine and liquor store at 43rd and Chestnut that has been discussed for what seems like a few years will open – on Tuesday!

The free booze will be flowing at the Premium Wine and Spirits Shop – if you are 21 and prove it of course – beginning at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The store has been in the works for a long time and was approved by the city, despite some protests from neighbors. It replaced an adult video store and check cashing joint. The store’s “premium” label means that no pints will be for sale. Read the whole saga behind the opening starting here.

The store’s opening will likely take much of the customer pressure off the store near 49th and Baltimore, which absorbed much of the traffic after the liquor store closed near 41st and Market in January 2012.

Here is the tasting schedule, according to Philly.com:

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.:

• Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach
• Hennessy VS Cognac
• Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut
• Chandon Napa Brut

4 p.m.– 6 p.m.:

• Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio
• Barefoot Cellars Malbec
• Barefoot Cellars Red Moscato
• Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante

The store hours are: Mon-Sat 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sun noon – 5 p.m.

The state has finally signed a lease and now the “premium” Wine and Spirits Shop proposed for the strip mall at 43rd and Chestnut that sparked some controversy in the Spruce Hill neighborhood last year is about three months away from opening.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) approved the project last June, but many residents began wondering if the 5,000-square-foot shop would ever become a reality. Barry Grossbach, who heads up zoning for the Spruce Hill Community Association, said renovation has begun on the end units – formerly a check cashing spot and Risque, an adult video store (pictured) – and will take about 45 days. State officials say it will take another 45 days to get the store stocked and ready to open.

Several residents who live near the proposed location, including Muslim residents from the nearby Masjid al-Jamia mosque, opposed the store. Their opposition was met with support from scores of other residents, which made for a contentious ZBA hearing last summer.

The Wine and Spirits Store at 4301 Chestnut St. will be a a “premium collection” store similar to the ones near 12th and Chestnut and 19th and Chestnut, which feature a broader selection of products than other stores and do not sell small package items such as pints and half pints. This will be the first premium store in West Philadelphia.

The new location will take some pressure off the store near 50th and Baltimore, where lines have swelled since the closing of the shop near 41st and Market in January 2012.

– Mike Lyons