Everyone, who is interested in opening a brewery, pub, bar or restaurant, needs to obtain the appropriate liquor license that allows for selling alcohol products. Currently, different states offer different licenses for these types of products, so it is important to remember about choosing permission that applies to a specific type of business. Of course, bars need full liquor licenses, but restaurants, breweries or pubs can choose only a beer and wine license. It is good to get some information about the differences between these two types of permissions.
What are the differences between different kinds of licenses?
Of course, a beer and wine license allows only for selling beer, malt beverages, and wine products, so it is not possible to sell vodka, whiskey and many other types of alcohol. Many owners of companies who are interested in selling cocktails believe that they need to obtain a general liquor license. The difference between beer and wine and general liquor license is that the second one allows not only for wine and beer but also for selling other, stronger alcohol products.
Owners of bars, restaurants, pubs and other similar businesses need to remember that they can sell cocktails based on beer and wine license. It is possible thanks to many substitutes for gin, vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey – they are based on wine. These are cocktails that taste like the traditional ones, so people like them. Thanks to the lower alcohol amount of alcohol, these cocktails can be served by establishments with beer and wine licenses.
We need to remember that different types of licenses and different rules apply in different states, so it is important to check the local state rules. You will then know, what type of license is suited to alcohol products that you want to serve.
Are there any differences in costs?
Of course, general liquor license and beer and wine licenses have got more differences than the only type of served alcohol. They have also got different costs in different states, so it is important to check the rules and prices in a specific state. We need to remember that the price of wine and beer license will be lower than the price of the general liquor license, because of the lower amount of alcohol products allowed to serve. The general cost of a license also includes a processing fee of a few hundred dollars.
Other important facts
Observing the state rules is also very important because some states introduce special limits. For example in California state, there is a limit of one liquor license issued per 2000 people who live in a county. In other words, many companies that look for licenses do not get the new ones, but they receive licenses transferred from other companies that are not interested in having a license anymore.
Many breweries and restaurants in these states, decide to obtain a beer and wine license to sell some alcohol and in the meantime, they try to receive a general liquor license. This option is a very smart idea.
