Wine is Probably a Bad Idea for a Holiday Present from a Tennessee Restaurant

We often get this question during the holidays?  Can my restaurant or bar give a bottle of wine or spirits to a vendor or good customer for Christmas in Tennessee?

We recommend not.

First, we suspect that an ABC agent will presume that the restaurant is giving away alcohol for off-premises consumption, which is a huge no no.

Legally, we think that an owner of a restaurant should be able to purchase alcohol at a liquor store and give it as a gift.  The dilemma is that the owner will certainly include a card that indicates that the gift is on behalf of the restaurant.  It looks like the restaurant is making the gift.

Although you may be able to contest the citation, the gift of alcohol raises too many problems and we recommend against it.

A Christmas classic cones to mind:

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn’t know what to think of him until he sang
Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad

Source: LastCall