The campaign behind the push to expand the sale and delivery of alcohol in Colorado conceded defeat in one and celebrated victory in the other.

“We’re pleased that Coloradans will soon be able to pick up a bottle of wine when purchasing groceries,” Rick Reiter, campaign director for Wine in Grocery Stores, said in a statement. “Consumer habits are evolving, and it was inevitable that either this election, or one soon thereafter, that Colorado would become the 40th state to have wine in grocery stores.”

Reiter referred to Proposition 125, which seeks to permit grocery and convenience stores that sell beer to also sell wine.

So far, the measure has received 1,192,386 “yes” votes, leading the “no” side by roughly 19,000 votes, the unofficial tally as of 5 p.m. Monday showed. The proponents’ lead is small but consistent.  

Coloradans, however, rejected Proposition 126, which would have allowed third-party companies to deliver alcohol from restaurants, bars and liquor stores.

The measure received 1,211,928 “no” votes — roughly 66,000 more than the “yes” side, a lead that appeared insurmountable.    

“We are disappointed that thousands of Colorado small businesses will miss out on vital economic opportunities that third-party alcohol delivery would have provided,” Rick said.

Voters also rejected a third measure — Proposition 124, which aimed to gradually eliminate the limit on liquor stores operated by one person or business. It would have changed the number of licenses a liquor store owner could hold. Currently, the limit stands at three. Under Prop 124, it would have increased to eight licenses by Dec. 31, 2026, up to 13 licenses by Dec. 31, 2031, and then to 20 licenses by Dec. 31, 2036. It would have allowed for an unlimited number of licenses on or after Jan. 1, 2037.

Backing the measure was Coloradans for Consumer Choice and Retail Fairness, which is funded by Colorado Fine Wine & Spirits, LLC, a Maryland-based company owned by U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-Md., and his brother, Robert. 

Keeping Colorado Local, funded by the Colorado Licensed Beverage Association and local liquor retailers, opposed all three measures. 

At a town hall before the election, business owners, lawmakers and activists had clashed over the three ballot measures.

The Colorado Licensed Beverage Association and Denver’s Joy Wine & Spirits, which oppose all three measures, said they would run small liquor stores out of business by, among other things, increasing competition — a claim proponents said is not true.