Alcohol in the news; Musicians play on despite liquor license suspension in Urbana

From the News-Gazette

Musicians play on despite liquor license suspension in Urbana

It seems a lot of people are interested in the Iron Post. There have been a lot of visitors to the blog searching for Iron Post Liquor License. Finally, this story in the News-Gazette provides the answer.

URBANA – It was a long, slow weekend at the Iron Post, a bar in downtown Urbana that lost its liquor license for five days after an undercover investigation earlier this year by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

The Iron Post had a five day suspension of it's license.

"We were scheduled for that night," said Morgan Powell, trombonist for the Boneyard Jazz Quintet. "Some bands opted out because there was no liquor served. We decided to go ahead and do it anyway to support Paul.

"It went well. It was a packed house. Unbelievable. I've never seen so many sober people before," Powell joked.

...

Wirth estimated he lost $3,000 during the five-day period last week while his liquor license was suspended.

The Iron Post lost its license for selling alcohol to underage customers during the "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day" weekend in Champaign-Urbana in March.

So, there's the answer, the Iron Post lost it's license for selling alcohol to underage customers during "Unofficial".

"They order the beers and when the beers go on the bar, they turn around and walk out," Wirth said of the undercover agents. "Next thing there are three very large police officers/liquor control commission guys standing behind the bar and writing me and my server a citation."

The two underage customers were a young man and woman, Wirth said.

So, the moral for bar owners is, on days like "unofficial" you should have a person on staff to stand at the door and check ID's. The pay for one person to stand at the door, is a whole lot less than the $3,000 that you'd lose for having your license suspended.

Alcohol in the Local News, Urbana council to consider range fo fee increases

From the News-Gazette

Urbana council to consider range of fee increases

URBANA – Fees for ambulance-service companies, liquor licenses, sewer taxes and rental inspections, among others, will likely increase next year.

Obviously, the one we care about is liquor licenses.

Among proposed fee adjustments in liquor license fees, Eldridge recommends:

– For a Class A license, which allows drink and package-liquor sales for consumption on or off premises, or a Class AA license, which permits hotel or motel sales of alcoholic drinks or packages on or off premises, the fee would go from $4,663 to $4,780.

– For Class B, which covers retail sales of only beer for consumption on or off premises, and Class BB, which covers sale of only beer and wine on or off premises, the fee would go from $2,507 to $2,570.

– For Class C, which allows for package-liquor sale for consumption off premises only, the fee would go from $4,548 to $4,662.

– For a GC license, which covers liquor sales at a golf course, the fee goes from $4,808 to $4,928.

– For Class R, which allows drink or package-liquor consumption on or off premises of restaurants, the fee goes from $3,462 to $3,549.

Class R affects the restaurants, like Crane Alley. I believe the Corkscrew is a Class A. Picadilly would be a class C.