FAQ
“Thanks for making the bar and drinks run so smoothly on Saturday night. It was a perfect evening and your servers were fabulous.”
DO YOU HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE?
Yes! The Bar Association is a fully licensed Bar Catering Service. We are required by the State of Maine to acquire and maintain a Catering Liquor License to both purchase and sell alcohol within the State of Maine. We are required to submit an application and procure town approval for every off-site, Full Service event we host within the State.
DO YOU HAVE LICENSED BAR TENDERS?
The State issues Liquor Licenses to a qualified Business (The Bar Association), not any one person. Liquor Licenses are used to buy and sell alcohol. Our bartenders are TIPS trained and insured professionals. When they serve alcohol purchased with our Liquor License they are then working under The Bar Association's Liquor License.
ARE YOU INSURED?
Oh Yeah! The more insurance, the better! We have Liquor, General, and Workmans Comp Insurance. The Bar Association has $4 million combined Liquor and General Liability insurance. We also have an additional $100k insurance for protection of the venue premises. Our employees must be W-2’d employees and are covered by Workmans Comp Insurance.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GENERAL LIABILITY AND LIQUOR LIABILITY INSURANCE?
General Liability Insurance is a basic insurance coverage that any legitimate commercial Catering and Bar Catering company will have to operate. Commercial General Liability (CGL) is a type of insurance policy that provides coverage to a business for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage caused by the business' operations, products, or injury that occurs on the business' premises.
Liquor opens its doors for a Liability claim as a consequence of someone getting drunk to the extent that injuries or property damages are the result. This is separate and additional.
If TBA brings the alcohol we bring our Liquor License and our Liquor Liability. If we do not bring the alcohol, we are working as your hired hands to serve your drinks and you need to provide the Liquor Liability insurance. This can be referred to as Host Liquor Liability Insurance.
CAN I BRING IN MY OWN ALCOHOL?
That is completely up to your Venue. Some allow this but a lot do not. If you do plan to bring your own alcohol, then you are bringing all of the alcohol. If TBA pulls a permit with our License to serve our alcohol, then we cannot have any other alcohol on site. The same rules of a brick and mortar bar apply in this situation. We liken it to walking into a bar with a six-pack under your arm, which you would never do . . . it’s not legal as it conflicts with the existing business license.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HAVE YOU CATER MY WEDDING AND/OR SPECIAL EVENT?
We have found that each event is unique and special to each individual client. Therefore, when it comes to creating your bar service, we are able to accommodate most visions with a price point that matches your budget. Please contact us to discuss.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR BAR PACKAGES?
We offer a number of packages designed for different needs and events. Please refer to our services page to see all the options for our bar service. For a quote specific to your event, please contact us.
HOW FAR OUT DO I NEED TO BOOK?
We have found that booking earlier is better to ensure you secure bar service for the date(s) necessary. Please keep in mind that Maine is a destination location for weddings and most people get married on Saturdays. That being said, our Saturday options tend to book out 6 months to a year in advance. Please feel free to inquire about your specific date. Availability is dictated by our existing event commitments and staffing requirements.
WHAT ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEED TO BE RENTED?
The Bar Association does not provide water table service or set-up/break-down of tables. We have additional service staff available for you to hire through The Bar Association for this purpose. Additionally, we do not provide glassware, but we can coordinate glassware rentals with your Event Rental Company. You are welcome to rent a physical bar from us, we have a number of attractive ones at a reasonable cost. If you choose to go with Service Only, we have an entire rental sheet for you to peruse. There may be items that you would rather we bother with. Please contact us for further details.