(1) To be issued a beer and wine tasting endorsement, the licensee must meet the following criteria:
(a) The licensee has retail sales of grocery products for off-premises consumption, not to include candy, soda pop, beer or wine, that are more than fifty percent of the licensee's gross sales, or the licensee is a membership organization that requires members to be at least eighteen years of age;
(b) The licensee operates a fully enclosed retail area encompassing at least nine thousand square feet. The board may issue the endorsement to a licensee with a retail area with less than nine thousand square feet if there is no licensee in the community that meets the nine thousand square foot requirement under the following conditions: There must be at least two employees on duty any time the licensee is conducting beer and wine tasting events. One employee must be dedicated to beer and wine tastings during these events;
(c) The licensee has not had more than one public safety administrative violation within the last two years. The two-year window is counted from two years prior to the date of the application for the beer and wine tasting endorsement. (See WAC
314-29-020 for a list of public safety violations.)
(2) In addition to the conditions in RCW
66.24.363, a beer and wine tasting must be conducted under the following:
(a) The licensee must provide a sketch of the tasting area. Fixed or moveable barriers are required around the tasting area to ensure persons under twenty-one years of age do not possess or consume alcohol;
(b) Signs advertising beer and wine tastings may not be placed in the windows or outside of the premises that can be viewed from the public right of way;
(c) Persons serving beer and wine during tasting events must hold a class 12 alcohol server permit.
(3) Licensees are required to send a list of scheduled beer and wine tastings to their regional enforcement office at the beginning of each month. The date and time for each beer and wine tasting must be included.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030 and 66.24.363. 11-01-133, § 314-02-102, filed 12/21/10, effective 1/21/11.]