During a private event held at your licensed establishment, a guest brings in their own bottle of homemade wine and offers it to other guests. What is your correct action as a Smart Serve certified server?

Question: During a private event held at your licensed establishment, a guest brings in their own bottle of homemade wine and offers it to other guests. What is your correct action as a Smart Serve certified server?

Answer options:

• Allow them to consume it, as it's a private event and not for resale. ✅ Inform the guest that outside alcohol is not permitted under any circumstances and ask them to put it away or remove it.
• Confiscate the bottle and dispose of it if the guest refuses to comply.
• Charge the guest a corkage fee and allow them to serve their wine to others.

Correct answer: Inform the guest that outside alcohol is not permitted under any circumstances and ask them to put it away or remove it.

Explanation: Under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, it is illegal for patrons to bring their own alcohol into a licensed establishment, with very few specific exceptions (e.g., unopened wine for home consumption, or if the establishment holds a 'BYOW' endorsement, which is not the typical case for homemade wine at a private event). The server must inform the guest that outside alcohol is not permitted. Confiscation (C) can be a next step if they refuse but direct instruction is first. Corkage fees (D) only apply to commercially produced wine where BYOW is permitted. Private events do not exempt patrons from this rule (A).