Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - SMF-SEA-YVR - Duty free in SEA/connection time, gates

I'm flying SMF-SEA-YVR with only a 45 minute connection time at SEA at 8:30 pm. AS 369/AS 2264. Will I be able to purchase duty free liquor near the AS gates in SEA to bring into Vancouver ? Not sure what the arriving and departing gates are. I'm also worried about my connection time. I understand that YVR does not have Duty Free on arrival. Is this correct ?

It is correct that there is no duty free in Vancouver on arrival. There is a duty free shop in SEA very near the intersection of the C and D concourses. It should be right near the gate for your YVR flight so you should be able to dash in there pretty quickly.

I'm flying SMF-SEA-YVR with only a 45 minute connection time at SEA at 8:30 pm. AS 369/AS 2264. Will I be able to purchase duty free liquor near the AS gates in SEA to bring into Vancouver ? Not sure what the arriving and departing gates are. I'm also worried about my connection time. I understand that YVR does not have Duty Free on arrival. Is this correct ?

Departing gate is almost always C2 (which is actually about 10 gates C2A-C2J), the duty free store is right next to the Alaska Board Room between the C and D gates. Assuming you don't end up in an N, gate it's quite doable, and if you know what you're doing and the gods line up a train at just the right time, it's even possible from the N gates -- I had a 45 minute cxn from N last week to connect to the YVR flight and made it with a stop at duty-free.

You're right in that there is no arrival duty free at YVR (just a really long walk from the commuter US gates to Customs/Immigration)