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Alcohol Beverages Pricing

Drink Specials

This policy topic covers laws that limit "happy-hour" pricing and related marketing approaches in on-premises establishments.

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Variables: Alcohol Beverages Pricing: Drink Specials

  1. Free Beverages
    • A checkmark appears in the Free Beverages column if the State prohibits on-premises retailers from providing free alcoholic beverages to patrons either as a promotional practice or on a case-by-case basis (e.g., on a birthday or anniversary, as compensation for poor service, etc.).
  2. Multiple Servings at One Time
    • A checkmark appears in the Multiple Servings at One Time column if the State prohibits on-premises retailers from serving a customer more than one drink at a time without regard to price, as in the retail practice of “lining up” drinks in front of a customer whether or not he/she is paying full price for each drink.  Two different alcoholic beverages served at the same time to a single customer, if such “drink” is a customary combination (such as a shot of spirituous liquor with a malt beverage), is considered one drink.
  3. Multiple Servings for a Single Serving Price
    • A checkmark appears in the Multiple Servings for a Single Serving Price column if the State prohibits on-premises retailers from serving a customer multiple servings for a single price (e.g. two-for-one, three-for-one, etc.).
  4. Happy Hours -- Reduced Price
    1. Type of provision
      • Banned—State prohibits offering a discount or price promotion to customers during any subset of normal hours of operation (such as reduced prices during “Happy Hours”).  States that ban price promotions during a subset of business hours may allow promotions that last for a full business day (Full Day Price Reductions – see Definitions).  Such States are coded as “banned” by APIS.
      • Restricted—State allows on-premises establishments to offer a discount or price promotion to customers but there are restrictions or limitations as to the hours or days the specials may be offered.
      • None—No law exists prohibiting happy hours.
    2. Description
      • For States that allow on-premises discounts or price promotions but with restrictions to a subset of business hours, this column indicates the days and/or times during which such discounts or promotions are permitted.
      • For States that ban on-premises discounts or price promotions for a subset of business hours, this column indicates those that do not ban such promotions if offered for a full business day (Full Day Price Reductions).
  5. Unlimited Beverages for a Fixed Price or Period
    • A checkmark appears in the Unlimited Beverages for a Fixed Price or Period column if the State prohibits the price promotion practice of allowing patrons to receive an unlimited number of alcoholic drinks for a fixed price or during a fixed period of time (e.g., all-you-can-drink, beat-the-clock, etc.).
  6. Increased Volume without Increase in Price
    • A checkmark appears in the Increased Volume without Increase in Price column if the State prohibits offering drinks with increased amounts of alcohol at the same price as regular-sized drinks (e.g., double shots for the price of single shots).