Most of the mixed drinks in Baltimore are illegal
Got your attention yet?
It's true. According to city liquor laws:
"No licensee shall serve more than two ounces of liquor to one person at one time for consumption on the premises."
Two ounces! How many ounces are in the average martini? More than two, most likely. How about the average double gin and tonic? Or the average double anything for that matter?
If the city enforced this law, half the bars in Baltimore would be fined or shut down.
I spoke with Douglas Paige, the spokesman for the Board of Liquor License Commissioners (that's a fancy way of saying the Baltimore Liquor Board) to try and wrap my head around this law ...
Paige said in his 20 years with the liquor board, he has never once heard of a bar being punished for this law. In fact, he implied that it would be absurd for liquor board inspectors and police officers to enforce it.
"It's something that's on the books," Paige said. "Unless a police officer or an inspector is right there real time, how do you catch it?"
Wink, wink.
That's probably the best way to handle the law. Otherwise, it would turn this city's nightlife scene upside down.
(Baltimore Sun photo of the pomegranate margarita at Holy Frijoles by Gene Sweeney Jr.)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
Hardly surprising law seeing as though most things are illegal in this state. I'm pretty sure making an income is illegal because the state likes to take as much of it as it can. Ba-zing! Where's my martini?
Posted by: JTK | April 17, 2009 10:20 AM
What are the half of Baltimore bars that are obeying the "law". I'd like to avoid them
Posted by: locust point man | April 17, 2009 10:34 AM
MMMM Pomegranate margarita...
Posted by: Baltimoregal | April 17, 2009 10:42 AM
How could we live without places like Nevin's where you get a pint of bourbon with a little splash of ginger ale?
Posted by: Pat O | April 17, 2009 10:44 AM
I don't think we could live without 'em, Pat. I don't think we could.
I mean, I won't drink a rum and coke unless I can see through it.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | April 17, 2009 10:47 AM
True story, it's also illegal to bring a lion to the theater in Baltimore.
Posted by: Evan | April 17, 2009 10:52 AM
I don't want to live in a city where you can't throw bales of hay out of a second story window. I'm moving to the county.
Posted by: RayRay | April 17, 2009 10:57 AM
Newton outlawed my perpetual motion machine.
What I do in my house is my business, Sir Isaac!
Posted by: Ted | April 17, 2009 12:26 PM
I can't find it, but there is a term for laws that haven’t been enforced for a long period time, usually because the regulation is obsolete*, which when enforced, the victim usually can make a case for harassment or illegal censure.
* like it relates to horse draw carriages.
Posted by: GDA | April 17, 2009 12:30 PM
I was arrested once for this, but I didn't know why at the time. I just thought it was because it's hard to strain a cosmopolitan and keep both hands on the wheel at the same time.
Posted by: Evan (the other one) | April 17, 2009 1:35 PM
Can't any worst than a news item read on the air by Jay Leno one night.
basicly, man runs red light, when pulled over, is discovered to be an one arm man on his cell phone.
Posted by: GDA | April 17, 2009 2:20 PM
If the epople were really familar with the liquor laws in Md. they would be shocked, the whole systemn needs to be reviewed. Did you know that a bar can not give away ant type of food or they can be fined for enticing a patron to drink alcohol? This is one small example and there are hundreds more just like this, they were all probably put on the books when prohibition was eliminated and they are now used just to harrass the holders of liquor licenses!
Posted by: Mike B. | April 17, 2009 2:54 PM
well I'll be, ducks with long pants.
Posted by: Allan | April 17, 2009 3:15 PM
JTK - that's assuming there is anything left after obammy, pelosi, dingy harry reed and barney frank are finished with their feeding frenzy.
Posted by: karlosi | April 17, 2009 4:03 PM
Sam, I think you've mentioned before that one (or maybe more) members of the liquor board read this blog, so I'm hoping you or one of them might help settle a debate for me. Are there any laws on the books regarding children sitting at a bar (with their parents) if it's part of a restaurant that does not require that people be 21 to enter?
Posted by: Dave the wave | April 23, 2009 3:16 PM