Frequently Asked Questions

OPERATING THE BUSINESS

• Do local licensing boards set the hours during which restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages on weekdays?
• What are the Holiday and Sunday Operating Hours for "Pouring" establishments?
• If a restaurant occasionally runs out of a popular item on a busy night, can the manager go to a package store and buy a few bottles to temporarily meet his/her customer's demands?
• May wholesalers offer retailers discounts on alcoholic beverages?
• Is a wholesaler allowed to offer a retailer a discount if the retailer picks up the products at the wholesaler's warehouse?
• Can an out-of-state supplier/manufacturer (a Certificate of Compliance holder) sell directly to a retailer?
• Can everyone bring their own beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages into an establishment?
• Can "non-alcoholic beer" be served or sold to persons under twenty-one?
• Is a person dining alone in a restaurant able to order a pitcher of beer to go along with his/her meal?
• How old do you have to be to tend bar?
• What forms of identification are acceptable to prove that someone is twenty one years of age or older, so that person may be served, delivered, or allowed to possess or purchase alcoholic beverages?
• If a patron is not driving, does it matter how many drinks s/he is served?
• Is Spirits tasting allowed in Massachusetts?
• Do restaurants, hotels, function halls and package stores need to meet certain requirements while conducting wine tasting?
• Can Section 12 (on-premise) establishments with wine and malt licenses serve cordials and liqueurs?