The movie theater at the Mall of Abilene is adding a permanent feature for ages 21 and over: beer and wine.

Premiere 10 hopes to start selling the consumables sometime in December.  

"We are thrilled to add beer and wine to our concession menu for movie-goers to enjoy," said Gary Moore, the theater chain's president and chief executive officer, in a statement. "A lot of our theaters in other markets have been selling beer and wine to moviegoers for years and it's become a really big hit in movie theaters, so we're really excited to offer them in Abilene now." 

William Hildebrand, lead associate director at Abilene's Premiere Lux Cine 10, said director Lavone Crosby and he were "excited for the beer and wine addition to our concession menu."

"It is exciting for moviegoers in Abilene to order a beer or wine along with your popcorn or hot dog and enjoy your movie," he said, noting that the theater listens to patrons, and  added items such as pretzels to its concession menu by popular demand.

The theater recently went through a major renovation, adding leather recliners with adjustable headrests, USB ports and private tables for the "in-theater diniAbilng experience," he said, adding unlimited self-serve refills of popcorn, soft drinks and ICEEs.

The beer menu will include Bud Light, Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Shiner Bock, Coors Banquet, Dos XX, Coors Light, Redd's Apple Ale & Mike's Hard Lemonade.

Wine available will be chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, moscato and white zinfandel.

A number of other Premiere Cinemas also sell beer and wine, including locations in Bryan, Burleson, El Paso, Grand Prairie, Lubbock, and Temple, Hildebrand said.

For years, the mall and the nearby Century 12 were Abilene's primary movie theaters, the Century being a pioneer when it brought stadium seating to Abilene when it opened in September 1998

Abilene's theater landscape began transforming in 2017, when its newest theater, a Cinemark location in north Abilene, opened, offered reclining seats, an XD screen, and similar amenities not seen locally. 

The mall's theater upped its game in response, adding in new seating and other perks.

Meanwhile, one of the city's oldest theaters, the AMC Classic 6, closed in May, while the former Westwood Twin on North First Street is now a church. 

The city currently has four first-run movie theaters: Premiere Cinema 10, Century 12 near the mall, Town and Country Drive-In and the northside Cinemark Abilene and XD