(1) There shall be a beer and/or wine retailer’s license to be designated as a beer and/or wine specialty shop license to sell beer, strong beer, and/or wine at retail in bottles, cans, and original containers, not to be consumed upon the premises where sold, at any store other than the state liquor stores. Licensees obtaining a written endorsement from the board may also sell malt liquor in kegs or other containers capable of holding four gallons or more of liquid. The annual fee for the beer and/or wine specialty shop license is one hundred dollars for each store. The sale of any container holding four gallons or more must comply with RCW 66.28.200 and 66.28.220.
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Terms Used In Washington Code 66.24.371

  • Beer: means any malt beverage, flavored malt beverage, or malt liquor as these terms are defined in this chapter. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Board: means the liquor and cannabis board, constituted under this title. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Importer: means a person who buys distilled spirits from a distillery outside the state of Washington and imports such spirituous liquor into the state for sale to the board or for export. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Liquor: includes the four varieties of liquor herein defined (alcohol, spirits, wine, and beer), and all fermented, spirituous, vinous, or malt liquor, or combinations thereof, and mixed liquor, a part of which is fermented, spirituous, vinous or malt liquor, or otherwise intoxicating; and every liquid or solid or semisolid or other substance, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, or beer, and all drinks or drinkable liquids and all preparations or mixtures capable of human consumption, and any liquid, semisolid, solid, or other substance, which contains more than one percent of alcohol by weight shall be conclusively deemed to be intoxicating. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • malt liquor: means any beverage such as beer, ale, lager beer, stout, and porter obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of an infusion or decoction of pure hops, or pure extract of hops and pure barley malt or other wholesome grain or cereal in pure water containing not more than eight percent of alcohol by weight, and not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Manufacturer: means a person engaged in the preparation of liquor for sale, in any form whatsoever. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Permit: means a permit for the purchase of liquor under this title. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • sell: include exchange, barter, and traffic; and also include the selling or supplying or distributing, by any means whatsoever, of liquor, or of any liquid known or described as beer or by any name whatever commonly used to describe malt or brewed liquor or of wine, by any person to any person; and also include a sale or selling within the state to a foreign consignee or his or her agent in the state. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Spirits: means any beverage which contains alcohol obtained by distillation, except flavored malt beverages, but including wines exceeding twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Store: means a state liquor store established under this title. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Wine: means any alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of fruits (grapes, berries, apples, et cetera) or other agricultural product containing sugar, to which any saccharine substances may have been added before, during or after fermentation, and containing not more than twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume, including sweet wines fortified with wine spirits, such as port, sherry, muscatel, and angelica, not exceeding twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume and not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume. See Washington Code 66.04.010
(2) Licensees under this section may provide, free or for a charge, single-serving samples of two ounces or less to customers for the purpose of sales promotion. Sampling activities of licensees under this section are subject to RCW 66.28.305 and 66.28.040 and the cost of sampling under this section may not be borne, directly or indirectly, by any manufacturer, importer, or distributor of liquor.
(3) Upon approval by the board, the beer and/or wine specialty shop licensee that exceeds fifty percent beer and/or wine sales may also receive an endorsement to permit the sale of beer to a purchaser in a sanitary container brought to the premises by the purchaser, or provided by the licensee or manufacturer, and fill at the tap by the licensee at the time of sale. If the beer and/or wine specialty shop licensee does not exceed fifty percent beer and/or wine sales, the board may waive the fifty percent beer and/or wine sale criteria if the beer and/or wine specialty shop maintains alcohol inventory that exceeds fifteen thousand dollars.
(4) The board shall issue a restricted beer and/or wine specialty shop license, authorizing the licensee to sell beer and only table wine, if the board finds upon issuance or renewal of the license that the sale of strong beer or fortified wine would be against the public interest. In determining the public interest, the board shall consider at least the following factors:
(a) The likelihood that the applicant will sell strong beer or fortified wine to persons who are intoxicated;
(b) Law enforcement problems in the vicinity of the applicant’s establishment that may arise from persons purchasing strong beer or fortified wine at the establishment; and
(c) Whether the sale of strong beer or fortified wine would be detrimental to or inconsistent with a government-operated or funded alcohol treatment or detoxification program in the area.
If the board receives no evidence or objection that the sale of strong beer or fortified wine would be against the public interest, it shall issue or renew the license without restriction, as applicable. The burden of establishing that the sale of strong beer or fortified wine by the licensee would be against the public interest is on those persons objecting.
(5) Licensees holding a beer and/or wine specialty shop license must maintain a minimum three thousand dollar wholesale inventory of beer, strong beer, and/or wine.
(6) The board may adopt rules to implement this section.
(7) Any endorsement issued pursuant to this section may be issued to a qualified combination spirits, beer, and wine licensee in accordance with RCW 66.24.035.
(8)(a) A beer and/or wine specialty shop licensee that also holds a spirits retail license under RCW 66.24.630 may, upon board approval and pursuant to board rules, transition to a combination spirits, beer, and wine license pursuant to RCW 66.24.035.
(b) An applicant that would qualify for a beer and/or wine specialty shop license under this section and a spirits retail license under RCW 66.24.630 may apply for a single license pursuant to RCW 66.24.035 instead of applying for a beer and/or wine specialty shop license under this section in addition to a spirits retail license under RCW 66.24.630.

NOTES:

Expiration date—2009 c 507: See note following RCW 66.24.320.
Application to certain retailers—2003 c 167 §§ 8 and 9: See note following RCW 66.24.360.
Effective date—2003 c 167: See note following RCW 66.24.244.
Report to legislature—2003 c 167: See note following RCW 66.24.250.
Effective date—1997 c 321: See note following RCW 66.24.010.
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