Selling, Licensing and Dispensing Liquor in the State of South Carolina

Alcohol and Liquor Regulation in the State of South Carolina

Liquor, or -the hard stuff”, as some would otherwise refer to distilled spirits, has been with mankind for thousands of years and gathered a foothold in South Carolina since before the first English settlers landed at Charles Towne. The history of liquor in the Palmetto State has actually been one of the affects of this form of alcoholic beverage on society. Liquor, used recklessly, has been known to cause the draining of bank accounts, human conflict, property destruction, and even death.

It is for this very reason that the creation, sale, and even advertising of liquor is very tightly regulated by both South Carolina state and federal authorities. Here is a detailed look at liquor in South Carolina today.

The Difference Between Liquor, Liqueurs and Spirits

Liquor: Liquor is the contemporary term for any distilled beverage, or spirit, which are all consumable liquids containing ethyl alcohol (otherwise known as ethanol), purified by the distillation process from a fermented substance such as fruits or vegetables, but most often from grain.
Spirits: Spirits generally refers to distilled beverages that are low in sugar and containing at least 35 percent alcohol by volume. Examples of various forms of popular liquors include brandy, gin, vodka, bourbon, tequila, and rum.
Liqueurs: Liquor that has had a higher content of sugar added, such as Southern Comfort, is traditionally referred to as a liqueur. The word -liquor” may be used interchangeably by some people to refer to a distilled beverage, a fortified wine (the addition of a distilled beverage to wine), beer and wine, or all of the above.

Liquor Production From The Distillation Process

The actual process of distillation to create liquor itself has not changed since the eighth century. There have, however, been many changes in both the methods by which organic material is prepared for the still, and in the ways the distilled beverage is finished.

Knowledge of the principles of sanitation and standardized yeast strains has improved the quality of the distillation base ingredients. Modern distilleries also have larger, more efficient stills that are capable of producing more liquor, and better filters through which the liquor is strained to remove residue and produce a smoother final product. Chemists have also discovered ways in which aging can be accelerated without introducing harsh flavors.

Distillation of liquor is done at least twice, due to the chemistry involved in the process. Copper is typically used in the distilling equipment through which the liquor runs. The copper actually catalyzes the formation of poisonous by-products in the distillation process, making the removal of these substances necessary by means of the second distillation step. After distillation, the liquor may be aged in traditional oak casks, usually for a period of years.

The final liquor product contains water, ethanol, fusel alcohol, and flavoring compounds. In some cases, sugar is added. Fusel alcohols are mildly toxic, and have a strong, disagreeable smell and taste. In moderate quantities, fusels are considered to be essential parts of the taste profile of flavored liquors, such as whiskey and cognac. In liquors intended to be relatively flavorless (such as vodka), fusel alcohols are not used.

Issuance Of Liquor Licenses In South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Revenue is the state government agency responsible for the issuance of liquor licenses for both retail and wholesale liquor businesses. The forms of liquor licenses that are issued depend on the nature of the liquor business in question. Permanent liquor licenses are renewable every two years, and they expire in one of four designated months of the year, depending on the county in which the liquor licensee is located. The different categories of retail liquor licenses include:

Bars and private club liquor licenses.
Retail liquor store liquor licenses.
Temporary (120 days) retail liquor licenses.
Temporary (120 days) business or non-profit liquor licenses.
Local Option liquor permits (purchased on a per week or yearly basis) for Sunday liquor sales where allowed by local ordinance.

The above temporary liquor licenses also apply to special events to sell liquor from minibottles and large bottles. The legal requirement for liquor by the drink establishments to sell liquor only in minibottles in South Carolina was eliminated.

Wholesale Liquor Sales: Liquor licenses (South Carolina businesses that sell liquor to retail outlets) categories include:

Liquor wholesaler’s license.
Liquor manufacturer’s license.

South Carolina liquor licenses can be revoked if the licensee is found to have violated liquor laws that prohibit liquor sales to minors or inebriated persons. There are also other liquor law violations that can result in the revocation of liquor licenses in South Carolina.

Online Liquor Stores Offer Name Brand And Discount Liquor

Online liquor stores have increased their presence on the Internet, along with virtually every other type of business. Online liquor stores can feature a number of different, hard to locate, or specialty liquors, usually at prices lower than can be found at any retail liquor store. On occasion, these online liquor stores can also have prices lower than some liquor wholesalers, making them a form of online discount liquor store.

Even for the few South Carolina liquor and beverage stores that have online web pages, virtually all do not sell liquor online. The web pages do allow such liquor stores to increase sales at their physical locations.

Liquor Distribution Systems In South Carolina Bars: How Some SC Bars Monitor the Free Pour

Since South Carolina abolished the law that allowed bars and other liquor by the drink outlets to sell liquor in mini-bottles alone, new technologies have arisen in many Palmetto State bars and lounges for the regulated sale of liquor from large bottles. These new liquor dispensing technologies, called liquor control systems, offer a solution to the problem of pouring liquor in set amounts and tracking sales of the same.

The main liquor control and dispensing systems utilize a spout that goes on top a bottle of liquor that measures the amount of liquid poured. As the liquor is poured, a wireless transmitter measures liquor and sends that information to a computer which then totals the price. A liquor control system helps the bar maintain their inventory. The computer records how much liquor is consumed and keeps track of the bar’s inventory. This helps South Carolina bars keep an up-to-date inventory without the time-consuming task of physically counting mini-bottles several times a day.

A liquor control system also provides bar patrons a more even service, and it provides liquor vendors an easier way to track how much product the bar requires each week.

A liquor control system allows for full accountability of any and all pours from a large bottle of liquor. The amazing part of this technology is that not only does a liquor control system tell you how much has been poured, but it also tells you what has been poured and when. This feature allows a South Carolina bar owner to streamline his business process because he has access to real-time information, along with the ability to track trends.

The liquor control systems on the market are accurate to within one-tenth of an ounce. These systems also benefit the customer by giving them the peace of mind that they are being charged for exactly what they drink without the intervention of possible human error.

The Sale Of Absinthe Liquor In South Carolina

Although illegal to sell in South Carolina bars and liquor stores absinthe, an intense liquor that dates back to the 18th Century, can legally be purchased and possessed in South Carolina through various sources on the Internet. Absinthe is different from other liquors and liqueurs in many ways, most notably in the high alcohol content and the presence of thujone, which occurs naturally in wormwood. Absinthe is derived from herbs and flowers, most notably the leaves of the wormwood, which give this liquor its deep green color and bitter taste.

In the early 20th century it became banned in Europe and the United States, even though there was no evidence to show it as being more dangerous than regular alcohol and spirits. It was thought that thujone was responsible for all the ill-effects caused by absinthe. There are many different absinthe sources to purchase from, but only a few make absinthe the original way, without any additives or substitutes.

Personal Liability Associated With Serving Liquor In South Carolina

Whether you’re hosting a company party, wedding, neighborhood picnic, or any event where alcohol is served – remember – when an employee or guest drives away and causes an accident, South Carolina law notes the person who served the liquor also shares some liability, along the driver behind the wheel. The surviving family members will sue for damages naming everyone associated with the event – the company or organization, the hosting facility, the caterer, or you, the individual hosting a private party.

If not serving liquor and other alcoholic beverages is not an option, the best way to lower your liquor liability is to take the following steps to keep employees or attendees from overindulging:

Verify that any liquor vendor you use is licensed by the state of South Carolina and insured. If you hire a vendor, such as a hotel, caterer, or bartender, to sell or serve alcohol for your event, make sure that the vendor is compliant with state and local licensing and insurance regulations.
Under no circumstances should you or your staff purchase and serve alcohol.
Your contract should stipulate that servers be trained in safe alcohol service and recognize when people have overindulged as well as prevent intoxication. Many of these types of courses can be recommended by the South Carolina Department of Revenue or the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services.
Remind attendees to drink responsibly and exercise good judgment. Let them know that they will not be able to get behind the wheel of their car and drive off if they drink at your event. Help these people out by providing a taxi service or a designated driver to take them home.
Purchase a liquor liability insurance policy by obtaining an additional rider from your insurance company then add an indemnification clause. Your South Carolina insurance agent can help you with this type of insurance policy.

The most proactive thinking is to prevent your guests from becoming intoxicated at your South Carolina event in the first place. Try on these tips for size:

Hire fewer bartenders so it takes longer to get drinks.
Limit the number of hours for the event; the longer the event, the more time guests have to get drunk.
Serve drinks to guests rather than self-serve.
If you have a cash bar, don’t price alcohol too low because that encourages heavy drinking.
Serve a lot of free food, especially those high in protein, and have it readily available when the drinking begins (Remember that salty food causes thirst).
Provide a wide range of no-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks.
Station the bar not in the flight path of everything else.
Don’t play games or contests with alcoholic beverages.
Check IDs of people under 21.
Insist the bartender use a jigger to mix drinks. This makes certain the amount of liquor used in each drink is the same and can be controlled.
Do not circulate through the crowd refilling drinks.
Close the bar well before the end of the party.