Suwanee Pops the Cork on Sunday Alcohol Sales

Updated 12:50 p.m, Nov. 20, 2011

"This is the longest minute of my life," Suwanee resident Steve Sadoti said at on Sunday afternoon.

Sadoti had a beer purchase in his shopping basket, and he was waiting for 12:30 p.m. to officially roll around -- and more importantly, for the store's computers to recognize it.

"I can't override it," a Kroger worker said.

"Restricted," the machine told Sadoti on the first two scans.

The third run through the scanner worked, and Sadoti could complete his purchase.

And so Suwanee, like many other cities in Georgia, began a new era Sunday, one that allows packaged alcohol sales from 12:30-11:30 p.m.

Some shoppers actually came through shortly after 12 p.m. to take advantage, but were unaware that they would have to wait to purchase their beverages of choice.

Kroger worker Donna Kuykendall was preparing wine displays for shoppers shortly after noon.

"We've had a lot of calls," she said. "Thanksgiving is the top wine-selling holiday."

And a Miller brewery representative was checking his company's stock on the shelves.

"I'll probably be working seven days a week from now on," he said. "We've got 19 stores going online this weekend."

This means that in the U.S., only Indiana and Connecticut can't sell packaged alcohol on Sunday.