Server Ages & Functions + ADA Website Litigation + Lied About Paying Taxes + Alcohol Industry M&As + Birthday Party Costs

We all know that the legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one and over. But what about the legal serving age? In today’s environment where COVID and even post-COVID labor shortages are a problem, a factor on-premises retailers and their managers need to consider is the age and even the combination of ages coming to work in a given shift.

Imagine a restaurant with a liquor license which serves beer, wine, and spirits to guests at tables and at a bar or counter area. The menu may include glasses of wine or beer, mixed cocktails, and large format containers like pitchers of beer. Guests may also be able to order bottles which are opened at the table. Offering these beverages involves various tasks on the part of the restaurant staff. Those tasks include:

Opening and pouring;
Mixing in the back of the house (either pre-made batch mixes or a fresh cocktail to be served after being made);
Bartending in front of the guest at the bar or counter area;
Serving a drink at a table after taking from the "mixer" or bartender;
Clearing a table and taking away empty alcohol glasses/containers

If you haven’t heard already, a Kentucky jury just served an employer with a $450,000 bill associated with a surprise office birthday party gone awry. Does this massive legal loss spell the end of office birthday parties as we know them? Thankfully, no. Despite the media attention the April 15 verdict has garnered, it had less to do with the fact that the employer threw a surprise party than with how it handled the situation – and particularly the fallout. All kidding aside, this case has important reminders for employers about how you should handle disabilities in the workplace – and you can easily avoid a similar fate by following some commonsense steps.