Frequently Asked Questions

• OPERATING THE BUSINESS

Can "non-alcoholic beer" be served or sold to persons under twenty-one?

Maybe. The State Liquor Control Act, G.L. Chapter 138, regulates "alcoholic beverages" as that term is defined by law. The law defines "alcoholic beverages" to be "any liquid intended for human consumption as a beverage and containing one half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume at sixty degrees Fahrenheit." Thus, if a product is composed or manufactured so that it contains 1/2% or more of alcohol by volume at sixty degrees Fahrenheit, it is an "alcoholic beverage" and subject to the Liquor Control Act. If a product is composed or manufactured so that it contains less than 1/2% of alcohol by volume at sixty degrees Fahrenheit, it is not an "alcoholic beverage" and is not subject to the Liquor Control Act.

A product that is not an "alcoholic beverage" may be subject to regulation by a city or town under its authority under G.L. Chapter 140. Therefore, one must also check the local laws of each city or town about "non-alcoholic beer."