Tag: alcohol sales

Momenti Spirited Ice Creams and Sorbets Chooses TAM of Nevada to Provide Alcohol Awareness Training

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

ice creamWe are pleased to announce that TAM® of Nevada has been chosen by Las Vegas-based Momenti Spirited Ice Creams and Sorbets to provide alcohol awareness training and TAM Cards for their employees in Las Vegas. Remember, alcohol awareness cards are required for all sellers and servers of alcoholic beverage products in Clark County. That rule is not limited to only beers, wines and hard liquors. It also includes unique products like the spirit-infused premium ice cream that Momenti has been serving up since 2013.

Made in a small-batch process using all natural ingredients and top-shelf liquors, Momenti is known for their creative flavor combinations such as strawberry daiquiri ice cream, blackberry cabernet sorbet, and white russian pecan.  Servers should know that the alcohol content of Momenti products is about 5% ABV on average, but some flavors have up to 23% ABV.

Before serving infused desserts, remember to check the product packaging for the alcohol content, and stay aware of calculating how much alcohol your guests are consuming. Always spoon responsibly! For cashiers and clerks at retail stores that carry Momenti Spirited Ice Creams or other alcohol-infused products, make sure that you are checking for valid identification before making a sale. Individuals must be 21 years of age or older to purchase these products.

For even more tips on safely serving up alcohol-infused ice cream and other sweet treats, check out our blog post, ID Required – 5 Tips for Serving Alcohol-Infused Ice Cream and Other Sweet Treats.

A Reminder about Responsible Beverage Service

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

The City of Reno Has Suspended Alcohol Licenses for Several Businesses for Selling Alcohol to Minors.

In an effort to stop the sale of alcohol to minors in the Reno area, the City of Reno and the Reno Police Department have worked together to suspend liquor licenses for sixteen area businesses after conducting compliance checks and decoy operations (KTNV). The Reno Police Department’s Street Enforcement Team routinely conducts decoy operations and checks for alcohol awareness cards, and these suspensions are an extension of the work they are doing to protect local teens, and the rest of the community. These events should serve as a reminder to hospitality professionals and service workers that it is imperative to always check identification when serving or selling alcoholic beverages. Discussion with some of our TAM® Students about this news has resulted in some great reminders that we’d like to pass on to others regarding ID checking.

  • Become TAM® certified and make sure that your alcohol awareness training is up to date. TAM® will train you on how to correctly check identification and how to spot fake, borrowed, or altered ID. Also remember that TAM® Cards expire after four years, contact TAM® of Nevada if you need to renew your training. Officials may ask to see your alcohol awareness card during an alcohol compliance check.
  • Check ID closely – When checking the birth date of a customer, don’t rely only on the birth year to confirm someone is of legal drinking age. Also check the birth day and month on a license to guarantee you are serving legally! Minors may try to pull a fast one on busy or distracted service workers by purchasing alcohol just short of their 21st birthdays. For more tips on ID checking, visit our blog post, “Are Minors Using Fake IDs and Sneaking Past You?”
  • A hole punched into a driver license renders it invalid for identification purposes. As explained by a representative at the DMV Office, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles may hole-punch driver licenses and identification cards in order to make them easily identifiable as invalidated. This can occur when someone renews their license, transfers an out-of-state license, or a variety of other scenarios. The DMV will mail the new license to the individual within 10 working days, so this is just a temporary situation for license holders. When an identification card is invalidated at the time of license renewal, the DMV will issue a temporary paper document with information matching the punched-out driver license. Please note, the interim document for a driver license or an ID card only serves as a confirmation that the application is pending; it is not a form of identification (Nevada DMV). Check with your employer for company policy on acceptable ID policy. Each business must decide if the interim document, along with an invalidated driver license or ID card, will be accepted for cashing checks, buying liquor, and other transactions (Nevada DMV). In cases such as this, establishments may wish to err on the side of caution and request another form of valid identification such as a passport or military ID.

What are some tricks that you’ve seen used by fake ID holders? How else do you think service workers can help curb teen drinking?

Resources

© 2012 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

 

Substance Abuse – An Alarming Trend Among U.S. Teens

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Did you know that according to a new report from National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, about 50% of high school students smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs? (WebMD). The sheer number of teenagers who are experimenting with these substances is alarming, and even more alarming is the likelihood that many of them will become addicted. TAM® Card Holders and hospitality professionals are often the first line defense against underage access to teen drinking. Are you doing everything you can to help prevent teenage drinking?

Retailers and off-site sales professionals should be diligent about checking IDs as well to make sure teenagers are not trying to purchase liquor with fake or borrowed identification. To learn more about recognizing a fake or borrowed ID, refer to our blog post, “Are Minors Using Fake IDs and Sneaking Past You?” Most establishments also have a guidebook, like the I.D. Checking Guide, for validating various forms of identification. Ask your manager if you have a guide like this in your establishment and refer to it if needed. The I.D. Checking Guide can be purchased from TAM® here.

In addition to diligently checking identification, there are some other easy steps one can take in both retail and on-site establishments to help prevent teen access to alcoholic beverages such as storing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in separate display cases, making sure containers are labeled clearly and properly, and double checking that your guests are being served exactly what they ordered in on-site establishments. For more ways to help curb teens’ access to alcohol, refer to We Don’t Serve Teens’ suggestions.

What policies have you instituted at your organization to deter teen drinking?

Resources

Nearly Half of U.S. Teens Smoke, Drink Alcohol, or Use Drugs – WebMD Health News

Stopping Teens’ Easy Access To Alcohol – We Don’t Serve Teens

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

The Return of Four Loko – Even Without Caffeine, Still Popular with Teens

Published on by TAM of Nevada1 Comment

The ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages, also called alcopop, was one of the biggest stories in the beverage service and sales industry in 2010. Popular beverages such as Four Loko were called dangerous, a binge in a can, and worse. Last November the Food and Drug Administration declared alcoholic energy drinks to be a public health concern. The FDA concluded that caffeine added to malt alcoholic beverages was an unsafe food additive (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

What made the combination so dangerous? The FDA raised concerns that caffeine additives may have masked some of the effects consumers typically rely on to determine their level of intoxication. In fact, drinkers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are 3 times more likely to binge drink than drinkers who do not report mixing alcohol with energy drinks (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). All of this was alarming enough to get these drinks pulled off of shelves, but also concerning was their popularity with teens and young adults.

Four Loko was, and continues to be, extremely popular with teens. A single can of Four Loko came in at 23.5 ounces, contained 12% alcohol, and also contained unsafe additives caffeine, taurine, and guarana. Four Loko came in much larger, and more potent, than a can of beer. In fact, concerns were raised that these drinks were marketed to appeal directly to teens (Marin Institute).

Several months later, Four Loko is back on shelves, without the caffeinated punch. The drinks have been reformulated and no longer contain additives like caffeine, but they still come in 23.5 ounce containers with 12% alcohol by volume (Omaha World-Herald). Teens may not realize they are consuming as much alcohol as they are until they are well on their way to unsafe intoxication. Four Loko still comes in fruity, teen-friendly flavors like fruit punch and watermelon. It also continues to be the drink of choice for many young people around the country (Bar Business Magazine).

What can you do as a beverage service professional to keep teens safe?

  1. Make sure that ‘alcopops’ such as Four Loko sold off-premises are displayed in areas dedicated to alcoholic beverages, not in the soft drink section. Many of these drinks can be easily confused for non-alcoholic energy drinks, and it just makes it easier on everyone involved to keep them separate.
  2. Always card anyone who appears to be under the age of 30. Retailers and off-site sales professionals should be diligent about checking IDs to make sure teenagers are not trying to purchase liquor with fake or borrowed identification.
  3. For more ways to help curb teens’ access to alcohol, read our blog post, “Teen Drinking is a Dangerous Business,” and refer to We Don’t Serve Teens’ suggestions.

What policies have you instituted at your organization to deter teen drinking?

Resources

© 2011 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada