Sherburne County approves local liquor license but denies event and expansion requests for Boulder Creek Wine Bar

The Sherburne County Board of Commissioners approved a seasonal on-sale, off-sale and Sunday liquor license for Boulder Creek Wine Bar on a voice vote on May 6, finishing a state- and county-level approval process that had been stalled last year.

The license covers the period from May 22, 2025, through Aug. 18, 2025, and was presented to the board by county staffer Lorraine Rupp, who said: "This license would run from 05/22/2025 to August eighteenth of 20 25, which would then put Boulder Creek on our normal rotation for our liquor license." The motion to approve the license was moved by Commissioner Danielowski and seconded by Commissioner Felder; the board voted to approve the application.

Despite approving the liquor license so county authorities could enforce local rules, the board separately rejected two related land-use requests from the same property owner. After a public hearing with many neighbors expressing concerns about traffic, safety and noise, commissioners denied (1) an interim use permit to hold occasional special events and (2) a proposed amendment to the conditional…