Members of the Braintreee board of license commissioners were prepared to discuss changing Braintree’s law prohibiting the sale of beer or alcoholic beverages by the pitcher, but no one asked them to do so although representatives of several local restaurants were present during their July 24 meeting, boston.com reports.
“If no one is inclined to ask us to do it, I see no reason to do it,” Town Clerk Joseph Powers, the chairman of the board, told his colleagues.
As a result, Section 11 of town policies and regulations, which forbids serving alcohol by the pitcher, remains in effect and license holders have been put on notice that they will be held responsible if suspected violations are brought to the board’s attention.
“If anyone violates the policy, which has been on the books for approximately 30 years, they could be subject to an alleged violation hearing,” Powers said.
Because some establishments have reportedly been disobeying Section 11, along with another local regulation concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages, a July 11 letter was sent to all holders of common victualler and/or liquor licenses.
In this letter, Powers reminded them not only that they can’t serve alcoholic beverages (typically beer) by the pitcher, but also that under Section 7 of the policy, there can be no dispensing of two or more alcoholic beverages or drinks when a patron pays for less than the number dispensed to him or her. In other words, no “Two for One” special is allowed.
The practice of selling alcoholic beverages in combinations such as “buckets,” where the cost of the combination of beverages is less than the per unit cost of one such beverage, may violate Section 7, and the cost of the combination of beverages should average out to the cost of a single beverage, the latter explained.
Meanwhile, Section 11 makes it clear that the sale of beer or alcoholic beverages by the pitcher to any number of individuals is not allowed. This differs from and is more strict than a state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) regulation specifying that no licensee or employee or agent of a licensee shall sell or deliver malt beverages or mixed drinks by the pitcher except to two or more persons at any one time.
