Alcoholic Beverage Locker Guide

What is a "whiskey locker," "vino stash," "bottle keep program," etc.?

Customers may rent lockers and buy bottles from the bar or restaurant and keep them there for private use.

The on-premises alcoholic beverage establishment usually charges a fee for this program. It can include members-only perks such as calling ahead to prepare the table for the customer (readying chilled glasses), consulting with a product expert, offering opportunities to buy rare products, procuring alcoholic beverages to the members' tastes, creating custom cocktails from their "stash," etc.

The idea is that when you go to dinner or to have drinks, you want to impress a colleague or a friend, and this is a unique way to do so and be treated like a VIP.

Any on-premises licensee may participate in such programs.

Alcoholic Beverage Locker Rules

Allowed

  • Purchase of the alcohol product from the on-premises licensee.
  • Storage of the alcohol product in the locker at the licensed premises.
  • Only the employees of the bar/restaurant can access the lockers and serve the product.

Not allowed

  • Customers may not bring in outside alcohol.
  • Customers may not access the storage locker themselves.
  • Customers may not take the product off the licensed premises and then bring it back for storage.
  • No self-service.

Legal References

All licensees must comply with all Federal and Montana alcoholic beverage laws and rules.

Updated December 2022. Please note the information in department communications may have been modified, superseded, or made obsolete by changes in federal or state law or the Administrative Rules of Montana. To verify the current validity of any Department of Revenue communication, please contact us at DORCARDEducation@mt.gov.