Serving alcohol responsibly is important every day, but maybe even more so on Independence Day, when we celebrate the holiday.
There are always risks when serving alcohol. As an operator, you must act responsibly or else face fines, the loss of a liquor license or, in some cases, even imprisonment. Here, Jay Lerdal, our ServSafe Alcohol specialist, offers five tips for restaurants and bar owners to follow. They’ll help ensure the safety of your customers, employees and business:
- On July 4, America be 242 years old. When serving guests alcohol, make sure they are 21 years old and of legal drinking age. You can do this by properly checking IDs before service begins.
- Besides serving alcohol, make sure to offer your customers water and nonalcoholic options, too! Alcohol dehydrates a person, especially when it is a very hot day. That’s why it’s important for guests to rehydrate themselves with water rather than more alcohol. If water isn’t available, they may drink the alcohol at a faster rate than they normally would.
- Don’t overserve your guests. Measure pours correctly. And don’t serve guests more than one drink at a time. This will help them pace their consumption.
- Serve food with alcoholic beverages. Most notably, foods high in protein and fat, like chicken wings or pizza, are best at slowing down the rate of alcohol absorption into the body.
- Watch for and be aware of behavior changes in your guests. Those changes can signal a person is intoxicated or getting drunk.
Source: NRA.com
