It's 8am on my day off. One comment, and I'll start drinking

Start drinking already

They are not judging you for being there at 9am they are judging you on your choice of liquor.
Believe it or not the majority of alcohol stores are run by people who know a great deal about their products.
Next time you are in a liquor store ask the clerk if they know what is the best product for you.
Explain why you are drinking, what your tolerance level is, and what types of alcohol you perfer. Like beer wine whiskey etc... And they can help you.

My philosophy for years now has been if you're drinking rum before noon...you're not an alcoholic ... you are a pirate!!

My local liquor stores don't open until 10:30 AM :/

I wish mine opened at 9am. They open at 10am. That's an hour I could be getting drunk