Responsible Night Out

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division kicks off Alcohol Awareness Month with the theme:

Alcohol Responsibility Matters

ABCD wants all servers, sellers, and customers to have and enjoy a safe and responsible night out.

 

Servers and Sellers:

Your goal is to have repeat customers for the business. You can help your customers with their choice to responsibly consume alcohol by implementing these in-house practices:

  • Engage with and help customers in a friendly and professional manner.
  • Have multiple interactions with your customers.
  • Watch for customers that “pre-game”.
  • Have a strategy for cutting someone off who may have had too much to drink.
  • Get the support of management for complicated situations or inexperienced servers.
  • Communicate with management and other servers when you decide to stop serving a customer.
  • Don’t free-pour or estimate the amount of alcohol per drink. Standardizing drinks helps your business be more profitable and prevents serving intoxicated customers.
  • Provide a low alcohol by volume (abv) or mocktail menu that is visible to customers.
  • Don’t bring drinks customers haven’t ordered yet. They might be done and feel like they need to drink more if you keep bringing drinks.
  • Serve water with alcoholic drinks and keep refilling water glasses.
  • Offer free soda or seltzer water, if possible.
  • Offer snacks like popcorn, pretzels, or mixed nuts for free, if possible.
  • Have a small easy bar menu available for customers, if possible.
  • Have menus available from nearby restaurants for customers to order from. They can use a 3rd party food delivery service if available.
  • Help your customers get home safely and lawfully:
    • Call a cab.
    • Have 3rd party ride service contact info available.

 

Customers:

Going out on the town or having after-work drinks?

  • Know your alcohol limits:
    • Be aware of your limitations and stick to them.
    • Keep track of the number of drinks you have had and the timing of them. Pace yourself if you will be out for a while.
    • Stick with one type of alcohol.
    • Eat before going out, preferably a high-protein meal.
    • Understand how your medications may respond when mixed with alcohol.
    • Avoid “pre-gaming”.
    • Check out the virtual bar to customize your safe drinking experiences. Learn how alcohol affects you before you start drinking:
  • Be safe:
    • Decide in advance how many drinks you will have.
    • Drink water in between each alcoholic beverage consumed.
    • Know when to call it a night.
    • Stick with your friends.
    • Listen to your friends when they tell you you’ve had enough to drink.
  • Plan your ride:
  • Not drinking?
    • Order a seltzer with lime.
    • Ask for a low abv cocktail.
    • Ask for a mocktail.
  • Know what you are drinking:
    • Know the standard drink size of what you are drinking.
    • For more information on standard drink size click here.
    • An educational poster by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division on 'How Many Drinks Are You Really Having?' and 'What is a Standard Drink?'. It illustrates different alcoholic beverages and their drink equivalents.
    • Glassware can be deceiving. Beware of large glasses that trick your eye into thinking drinks are smaller than they are.

    Hosting a Party?

    Whether it’s celebrating with friends and family or a favorite holiday event, it’s important to be a responsible host. Have a plan:

      • Provide plenty of food options.
      • Offer fun nonalcoholic drinks, low abv cocktails, and mocktails.
      • Ask sober drivers or have designated drivers drive guests home.
      • Collect keys.
      • Have a rideshare fare fund available for guests.
      • Don’t serve underage guests.
      • At least one hour before the party wraps up, stop serving alcohol and serve additional snacks.
      • Consider restricting the kinds of bring-your-own (BYO) drinks you have at your party. For example:
        • Allow only beer and pre-mixed drinks like ready-to-drink (RTDs) beverages.
        • Know the abv of all drinks on hand.
        • Be mindful that any BYO beverages may have a higher alcohol content. Or your guests may mix doubles or “heavier” drinks without you even knowing.

    What are RTDs?

    As the name suggests, ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages are premixed drinks that are ready to be consumed immediately. Some have a lower alcoholic content compared to traditional liquors, spirits, and even some beers. With RTD cocktails, there’s no mixing necessary. You simply pop them open and enjoy.

    BUT – Be careful!! All of them are different!

    For more information on RTDs, click here.

    A promotional poster for Ready to Drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages, featuring images of cans and bottles with 'Check ABV' labels. Highlights include 'Spirits-based mixed cocktails', 'ABV: 4%-20%', 'Convenient', 'Popular', and advice to 'Read labels!' for low ABV in small containers.

    Most canned cocktails contain between 4 and 7% ABV (which is still quite a bit). Be aware there are some canned cocktails containing a whopping 25% ABV!!!

    In Montana, RTDs are available at liquor stores and all-alcoholic beverage-licensed establishments. Some examples include:

    • Margaritas
    • White Russians
    • Rum and Colas
    • Pina Coladas
    • Espresso Martinis
    • Vodka Sodas
    • Mojitos
    • Palomas
    • Gin and Tonics
    • Other common mixed drinks normally found in a bar, mixed by a bartender.

    ABCD hopes these tips can help you have a Responsible Safe Night Out!

    The Alcohol Responsibility Matters Logo
    Low ABV of the Week: Scarlet Spritz
    Ingredients:
    • Absinthe, to rinse
    • 1 1/2 ounces strawberry-infused Aperol*
    • 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc aperitif
    • 2 dashes rhubarb bitters
    • Sparkling wine, chilled, to top
    • Garnish: lemon twist
    • Garnish: strawberry
    Directions:
    • Coat the inside of a Coupe or Nick & Nora glass with Absinthe, then discard the excess and set aside.
    • Add the infused Aperol, Lillet Blanc, and rhubarb bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
    • Strain into the prepared glass.
    • Top with sparkling wine.
    • Garnish with a lemon twist and speared strawberry.
    • Serve the remainder of the drink in a small carafe over ice, if desired.
    • *Strawberry-infused Aperol: Soak 1/2 pint fresh strawberries in a 750 mL bottle of Aperol for at least 8 hours or overnight, then strain out solids. Store the infused Aperol in the refrigerator.

    Makes 1 serving.

    Mocktail of the Week: Mango Mule
    Ingredients:
    • 4-5 slices of cucumber
    • 1 oz honey syrup
    • 1.5 oz mango puree
    • 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
    • 1.5 oz nonalcoholic ginger beer
    • Ice
    Directions:
    • Muddle cucumber and honey syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
    • Add the mango puree and lime juice and shake with ice vigorously.
    • Strain into copper mug.
    • Top with ginger beer and stir.

    Makes 1 serving.