Latest Article|September 3, 2020|Free
::Making Grown Men Cry Since 1992
7 min read
It’s a significant figure: 1,410. That’s how many dispenser liquor licenses there are in New Mexico. None have been added since 1981. A dispenser license is a permit that allows the sale of beer, wine and hard liquor, the kind needed to run a full-service bar. When a license is revoked, it’s erased from the rolls, subtracted from that number, and cannot be resold. When a bar is busted, found in violation of the Liquor Control Act too many times, the number of dispenser licenses shrinks. Because of their rarity, Alcohol and Gaming Division Director Gary Tomada has heard reports of licenses selling for between $200,000 to $350,000, though such figures are based on speculation since all licenses are privately owned these days. Tomada is the man faced with a decision about proposed changes to the Liquor Control Act–an issue that has bar and restaurant owners up in arms. The rules governing liquor licenses in New Mexico would stiffen significantly if the proposals are adopted, but among the many amendments up for discussion, one in particular is weighing heavily on license holders’ minds: a proposal stating that with two citations for selling alcohol to an intoxicated person within a 12-month period, a restaurant or bar could have their costly liquor license revoked. 1,410 … 1,409 … 1,408 …"For most people, that liquor license, that’s a lifelong investment," says Billy Baldwin, owner of Stone Face Tavern, the Horse & Angel Tavern and Billy’s Long Bar, all in Albuquerque. "I think they may have gotten a little overzealous with this."