Lateral thinking on licensing laws...

[Betsy Og]

Could you make a few quid by charging people "corkage" for consuming their own alcohol on your premises?

Not thinking of starting a shebeen or anything but I'm into caravanning, & Irish sites are generally poor in terms of facilities. Some have a basic "common" room and the caravanning club I'm with occasionally have meets where we socialise and have a few tinnies (our own) etc.

Now as an incentive for the owners to do up a "lounge" for more comfortable socialising, could they charge punters corkage for the consumption of intoxicating liquor brought onto the premises by those punters. The owner wouldnt be selling any liquor, just effectively getting a charge to recoup his cost of providing the facility.

Any views? I presume the whole byo phonomenon (bring your own wine - big in Australia) must have covered this point?

 

[Arabella]

Once there is no extortion it should be ok.
Or how about putting a container in the corner, saying a few words (like Bertie) and then turning a blind eye as people toss € notes into it. Better € as the $ and £ leave a more noticeable trail.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

There have been some places where they don't sell alcohol, but they do ask you for a donation. I gather that if you don't donate, they don't give you alcohol.

Brendan

 

[csirl]

Wouldnt it be easier to charge a membership fee for membership of a social club which uses the premises rather than get into licensing issues?

 

[Betsy Og]

Wouldnt it be easier to charge a membership fee for membership of a social club which uses the premises rather than get into licensing issues?

The nature of the premises (caravan parks) is that people visit, say, once a year. So you wont want to join every caravan park club.

I suppose you could charge €10 a head admission fee to use the premises but I think that the corkage idea would be a little bit more subtle, whereas €10 straight up might be a deterrant.

 

[ajapale]

Could you make a few quid by charging people "corkage" for consuming their own alcohol on your premises?

Hi Betsy,

Generations of Irish people have contemplated this very point often in the congenial atmosphere of their local pub!

I think there was a celebrated case in the 1950's in Kilcullen where the full glasses were "rented" to the customers.

Suffice it to say that almost every wheeze concievable has been tried and none seem to endure in the long term.

Isnt there some Donegal guy running a sheebeen at present?

aj

 

[Mr. C.J.H.]

No, you haven't cracked it.. Before you can sell, supply and consume intoxicating liquor, the law requires you have an Intoxicating Liquor Licence. There are very many different types of licence, including a wine retailers on-licence which isn't particularly difficult or expensive to obtain and will probably suffice for your purposes.