October 20th, 2006
A confusing conversion
Think lawmakers resolved the switch to free pour? Not exactly.
Plenty of questions have come up as restaurant owners and bartenders change from minibottles to regular-sized bottles that all states except South Carolina have used for years. The law allowing those bigger bottles in the Palmetto State took effect Jan. 1.
Since that ceremonious cracking of the big bottles New Year’s Day, some places are still trying to figure out how to deal with things minibottles made easy: measuring the alcohol for each drink, pricing and how to keep track of the inventory.
Some bars, especially locally owned places, still are trying to decide whether to switch at all. Most national restaurants with a presence here rolled out big bottles as soon as they could. They have experience in other free-pour states that came in handy.