ABCC

Adolfo’s Restaurant, in the midst of a 23-day closure due to liquor license violations for serving underage patrons, has been slapped with an additional three-day license suspension for a separate incident. The Springfield License Commission voted 4-0 on Thursday to impose the three-day suspension, scheduled Feb. 1-3. The Worthington Street restaurant was already closed Jan. […]

Brothers Taverna and Mercy Tavern will be able to offer diners alcoholic drinks year round, following the approval of liquor law changes by the state legislature. The two Derby Street restaurants had previously held seasonal licenses. The legislature also approved a new beer and wine license for Salem. That license will be granted to Minzu […]

As reported by the Boston Globe, the price of beer, wine, and liquor in Massachusetts would increase, but unpopular restrictions on the sale of alcohol would go away, under a radical proposed overhaul of the state’s byzantine booze laws that’s expected to be unveiled by a government-appointed task force Thursday. The proposals include increasing the […]

The Norwell Board of Selectmen have revoked the liquor license for Mobil Mart at 89 Washington Street after Norwell Police say the store sold alcohol to minors three times in a 16-day span. At a hearing last month, the Selectmen suspended the liquor license for offenses on August 15 and August 24. “It’s our responsibility, […]

Massachusetts beer wholesaler Craft Beer Guild announced that it would appeal a judge’s order that upheld a $2.6 million fine for breaking state laws prohibiting unfair trade practices and illegal “pay-to-play” activities. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas H. Wilkins denied a plea for relief from Craft Beer Guild, a Sheehan Family Companies subsidiary. The case stems from […]

A Boston judge has ruled that Massachusetts alcohol retailers can legally sell booze at deep discounts when they order it in bulk, rebutting state regulators who said the practice can violate a state law that prohibits selling alcohol at less than cost. The Boston Globe reports that a decision by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Robert […]

The need to regulate Massachusetts’ newly legal marijuana industry is leading to possible attempts to revamp state alcohol regulations. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said in an interview with The Republican/MassLive.com this week that she was prompted to form a new Alcohol Task Force while looking at how other states regulate marijuana. “While looking at cannabis, […]

A Hooters restaurant that was denied a liquor license by the Dedham Board of Selectmen is pleading their case to the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. The ABCC held the appeal hearing for Dedham Wings LLC, doing business as Hooters. The restaurant was denied a liquor license transfer from Summer Shack in April. The restaurant says the denial […]

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who oversees the state’s alcohol regulators, is set to launch a sweeping review of the state’s liquor laws and regulations, calling the current rules outdated, unclear, and burdensome for businesses.The ambitious effort will be led by a task force of brewers, distillers, winemakers, wholesalers, retailers, and […]

As reported by the Boston Herald and Fox News, two young entrepreneurs are fighting to bring back happy hour. Former Boston-area students Sam Davidson and Brian Sachetta have launched a petition to overturn Massachusetts’ longstanding ban on happy-hour discounts — and have gathered more than 8,500 signatures so far. The Boston Herald first reported on the effort. The petition, titled “Bring […]

The day when certain Boston diners can bring their own bottle of chardonnay or can of pale ale to their favorite neighborhood haunt drew closer this week with approval of BYOB by another city panel, as reported by the Boston Globe. The city’s Licensing Board voted unanimously Thursday to allow BYOB — short for “bring […]

The Northampton City Council agreed to adopt a resolution to create 5 new liquor licenses for 5 existing businesses. Mayor David Narkewicz hopes this is the first step in getting rid of the quota system, and giving local city and towns (like Northampton) the power to issue as many licenses as they see fit. “There’s […]

The Boston Globe reported today that Massachusetts consumers are one step closer to getting wine delivered straight to their doorsteps. The state Legislature has created a new permit system that will allow out-of-state wineries to sell and ship their bottlings directly to Massachusetts consumers beginning next year. If approved by Governor Patrick, the legislation would […]

A Springfield nightclub will be temporarily shutting down, following a meeting between an owner of the club and the city’s director of licensing, a spokesperson for Mayor Domenic Sarno said. Director of Communications James Leydon said that Lux nightclub on Worthington Street will cease operations. According to Leydon, Director of Licensing Alesia Days met with […]

Franklin town councilors will discuss new guidelines for penalizing businesses caught selling liquor to minors, according to the Milford Daily News. All businesses found to have illegally sold alcohol to a minor face possible suspension of their liquor licenses, with the penalties handed down by the council. In recent years, the majority of violations have […]

The Milford Daily News reports that selectmen are considering implementing stricter penalties for package stores and establishments with pouring licenses caught selling to minors, including requiring a suspension for first-time offenders. Town Counsel Gerry Moody first brought the issue to selectmen in July while preparing for a hearing at the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. […]

The Burlington Board of Selectmen was recently informed that the Massachusetts Alcohol Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) had to enforce a 30-day liquor license suspension to Burlington Wine & Spirits on 43 Middlesex Turnpike. The establishment, which is located next to Market Basket, is being penalized because of violations with the storage and transportation of wholesale […]

Effective Tuesday, the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission adopted a new review process designed to speed the transfer of liquor licenses between buyers and sellers. In the past, before taking possession of a liquor license – whether on-premise (a bar), off-premise (a liquor store) or special (a one-day license for an event) – a buyer […]

The Lowell Sun reports on some aggressive policing by the Dracut authorities concerning the business “Crackers.”

A hearing on the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery’s application for a liquor license in Quincy has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date, Quincy officials said, as reported by boston.com The hearing at the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission had been scheduled for Wednesday, after the Tilted Kilt’s lawyers appealed a […]

State Treasurer Steven Grossman and the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC), in conjunction with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Impaired Driving Crackdown, will focus enforcement efforts at bars throughout the commonwealth during the 2012 holiday season. The operation started the night before Thanksgiving, and will continue through New Year’s Eve. “This […]