Only a few months after the Harford County Liquor Control Board decided to limit alcohol tastings to six samples per person, a Forest Hill business asked for an exception to hand out more samples.
Jay Gernand, owner of Ronnie's Beverage Warehouse, received approval from the liquor board on April 1 to serve up to 12 tastings during the store's special "Dollar Days" event.
"This is our biggest event of the year. We have sales from 10 [a.m.] to 7 [p.m.] and tastings," Gernand told the board.
Ronnie's, in the 1500 block of Rock Spring Road, has a Dollar Day planned for Wednesday, April 22, according to the store's website.
In January, the board agreed to pass a rule limiting tastings to six samples after the owner of Abingdon's Friendship Wine & Liquor said it has been hard to control the number of people lining up at the store's new growler station.
While Friendship's Mike Scheuerman said the growler situation has "almost become like a happy hour atmosphere," Gernand said he is not concerned with a similar atmosphere at Ronnie's, which was also approved to refill growlers, during the "Dollar Days."
"The idea is not to have a drink-fest," he told the board, noting the idea is just to sample. He said employees are told to not pour more than a half-ounce for a wine sample and a quarter-ounce for a liquor sample.
He also said the store only offers two types of liquor samples.
Lisa Davidson, an employee who oversees the tastings at Ronnie's, said the event attracts customers from as far as Cecil and Baltimore counties.
Customers are not required to finish the samples; "dump stations" will be set up throughout the store and cheese and crackers will be offered in addition to the drinks.
The liquor board approved the exception for Ronnie's samples, if the business agrees to hand out punch cards to keep track of the drinks consumed by users.
Commissioner Vernon Gauss said he had no problem with the request, as Ronnie's has "had good success with it [Dollar Days] in prior years."
Gauss told Gernand they are "your customers, your discretion."
"If you guys got a problem, you will be seeing [Inspector Danielle Markette] or [liquor inspector] Charlie [Robbins]," he said.