The Wedding Caterer and the Family Exception
A caterer holding an Ohio liquor permit is running the bar at a wedding reception in a rented barn. The bride's father supplied two kegs and six cases of wine and told the caterer, “It's my party, I'll handle my family.” At 9:15 p.m., a 19-year-old nephew asks for a beer. His aunt says, “It's a family wedding, his parents are here, and they said it's fine.” The father offers to sign a statement taking responsibility. A second guest, a 45-year-old man, is unsteady, has spilled a drink, and is loudly repeating the same story; his wife says she will drive him home. The caterer has one employee at the bar and no security. The host's friends are helping behind the bar.
1. Who is responsible for deciding whether the 19-year-old may be served, and can the parent or host consent override the age requirement?
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The permit holder and its employees are responsible for service decisions. A host's consent, a parent's presence, or a signed statement does not override Ohio's minimum drinking age of 21. The father can own the event and pay the bills, but he cannot authorize the caterer to serve a 19-year-old. The caterer's permit is the authority under which alcohol is being served, and the permit holder bears the compliance risk.
Practical handling:
- Refuse the beer politely and without announcing the nephew's age to the room.
- Explain that the caterer cannot serve anyone under 21, even at a private family event.
- Do not accept a waiver; there is no valid patron waiver for the age law.
- If the family pressures the employee, involve the caterer's manager or the person in charge of the permit.
- Document the refusal and the pressure applied.
The fact that the host supplied the alcohol does not transfer the legal duty to screen guests.
2. What should the employee do about the 45-year-old guest who is unsteady and repeating himself, and how should the wife's offer to drive affect the decision?
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The employee should stop serving him. Unsteady balance and repeated speech are observable signs of impairment, and the wife's offer to drive addresses transportation only. It does not make further service lawful or safe. A designated driver does not convert an intoxicated person into a person who may be served.
Steps:
- Refuse the next drink and offer water or food.
- Tell the wife privately that he will not be served further and that the decision is final.
- Confirm the ride is real: who is driving, where the keys are, and whether they are leaving soon.
- Alert the caterer's manager and, if available, event security. Keep the guest away from the bar and from car keys.
- If he becomes disruptive or tries to drive, escalate to the host and, if necessary, police.
- Record the refusal, signs observed, and transport plan.
The judgment point is that “she'll drive” is a transport answer, not a service authorization.
3. The host's friends are helping behind the bar and pouring drinks. What compliance concerns does that create, and what should the caterer do?
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Unsupervised friends pouring drinks create a serious control problem. The permit holder is responsible for how alcohol is served at the event, and untrained helpers may serve minors, over-serve visible intoxicated guests, or pour without measuring. That undermines the caterer's ability to monitor service and creates a record that looks careless if an incident occurs.
The caterer should:
- Take control of the bar area and limit pouring to permit-holder employees.
- Politely move volunteers to non-service tasks such as stocking napkins or clearing glasses.
- Post a clear service policy for the event, including last call and no service to minors or intoxicated guests.
- Keep a simple event log of refusals and incidents.
- If the host insists on volunteer pouring, the caterer should escalate to its manager and consider whether it can continue to operate the bar consistent with its permit obligations.
The key point is that friendliness to the host cannot be traded for control of the alcohol.