Lots of folks have been asking of late, “Do I have to show taxes in drink prices?”
No. The law gives taxpayers two options....more
The ABC almost always conducts clean stings for sales to minors. We have been preaching this for more than three decades.
Almost always....more
Hotel liquor licenses provide a dizzying array of ways to serve alcohol. Here they are:
Selling alcoholic beverages by the glass or cup on the hotel premises. Guests should not leave the licensed premises with an open...more
Liquor-by-the-drink license holders have been receiving notices from the Tennessee Department of Revenue....more
The Tennessee ABC has new rules for catering alcoholic beverages.
The new rules add specific requirements for what constitutes a commercial catering kitchen. To qualify for a catering license, applicants “are required...more
Effective July 1, 2023, liquor-by-the-drink license holders – aka LBD – can choose their license expiration date. This allows restaurants, bars, hotels and other LBD license holders with multiple licenses to set one or more...more
Last call for alcohol to go is 11:59 PM June 30, 2023. Cocktails to go expires in Tennessee on July 1, 2023.
There are special rules for beer....more
Legislation headed to the governor’s desk changes Tennessee law to allow grocery stores to sell wine coolers and a broad array of wine products that were previously taboo. SB497 / HB411 changes the definition of wine for...more
Tennessee’s statute that authorizes carry out alcohol is set to sunset July 1 of this year. We keep hearing the question: will cocktails to go be extended?
Legislation backed by the state hospitality association was set...more
The industry is all abuzz about Sazerac’s flavored malt beverage “brand-extension” of its popular Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Here is a single serving – aka shot – of the original 66 proof distilled spirit:...more
Here's an oft-repeated question: can I "brown bag" — bring my own wine — in a restaurant, hotel or bar that holds a liquor license in Tennessee?
Surprise, surprise — yes, you can. In an unusual twist of Tennessee liquor...more
Tennessee liquor laws are hopelessly complex, and the rules for sake are among the most byzantine.
Sake is rice wine. Is it wine under Tennessee law?...more
Restaurant, hospitality and grocery insiders call it The Wall. You know, the place where you have to publicly display your liquor license and other stuff the State of Tennessee issues.
We hear it all too often from...more
Generations of restauranteurs and hoteliers were told they cannot give away liquor. Since liquor by the drink was originally adopted in Tennessee in the late 1960s, it was illegal to give away wine or spirits at any...more
With the final nail in the coffin for Halloween, folks are starting to think about winter festivities and who can sell alcohol on those hallowed holidays....more
The Tennessee ABC liquor-by-the-drink application and renewal applications ask in Question 15: "Do you intend at any point during the next license year to produce, store, sell or offer for sale infusions as that term is...more
The rules on happy hour in Tennessee can drive you to drink. Make that a double.
Nothing good seems to happens after 10 pm, or at least so thinks the Tennessee state legislature. After 10 pm, bars cannot:
sell or serve...more
Everyone in the restaurant and bar business knows you must have a liquor license to sell wine and spirits. It's a crime to sell liquor without a license.
Outside the hospitality industry, a surprising number of businesses...more