A liquor store that’s about more than grab and go 

The new Ultimate Wine and Spirits in Elmsford is not the kind of place where you quickly brown-bag a bottle and run.   

“We want to be a store where you come in, take your time and look around,” said Zahid Mahir, who owns the 4,600-square-foot space, next to the new ShopRite, with wife Brittney.  

Wide aisles can accommodate strollers. Tastings are held facing large windows with views of Hudson Valley sunsets. The selection ranges beyond the traditional categories focusing on various countries to sections on women-led, Black-led and New York-state labels as well as kosher, organic and less caloric products.   

All the less fattening, organic product in the world, however, will not change the fact that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, along with asbestos, radiation and tobacco, as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Beginning in 2026, Ireland will require warning labels on alcohol similar to those on cigarettes here. Don’t, however, expect a reinstitution of Prohibition any time soon. As for Mahir, while aware of the classification, he stressed that “we take steps so that we are always serving responsibly.”  

A former software programmer, he is a newbie to the liquor business, while his wife has 15-years of experience. They met at Pace University in White Plains and fell in love – with each other and the area.  

“We’ve always been entrepreneurially minded,” he added. “This opportunity came up, and we couldn’t say no.”  

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, always a big cheerleader for new business in one of his municipalities, thinks customers will find Ultimate Wine and Spirits equally irresistible:  

“The Mahirs are hard-working, smart and understand great customer service,” he wrote in an email. “I think they will be a big success and a role model for other new businesses.”  

Ultimate Wine and Spirits is at 310 SawMill River Road. For more, visit ultimatewineandspirits.com or call 914-488-6544.