2025 Best Practices Overall Winner
by KYLE SWARTZ
Our 2025 Best Practices Overall Winner is the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. StateWays Magazine recognizes the NHLC for the depth of excellence the organization displays across a number of popular, modern, and public safety initiatives.
The NHLC was founded in 1934. More than 90 years later, the commission is known and celebrated for affordable prices, excellent stores and best-in-class allocated whiskey programs. Anyone in New England who lives near or travels through the borders of New Hampshire often makes a pitstop at one of the 67 NH Liquor & Wine Outlets operated by the commission. More than half of sales in these stores come from out-of-state customers.
“Everyone likes a deal, and it’s got to be an offer that nobody else will offer them,” says Chairman Joseph Mollica, who has helmed the NHLC since 2011, including overseeing a massive, successful project to redesign and modernize the state stores. “We work with our business partners every day to make sure that we have the best prices. People recognize the value that we provide.”
Handling Rare Spirits
Allocated whiskeys like Buffalo Trace products have enormous demand at retail. The NHLC handles these feverously sought-after bottles in a fair, effective manner.
This includes the commission’s biannual Limited Release Raffles. In 2024, more than 28,000 consumers and licensees entered the spring and fall drawings. Nearly 13,300 individuals received the opportunity to purchase exclusive, hard-to-find spirits.
Other rare items go out in ghost drops, unannounced SKU offerings where large amounts of allocated bourbons become available, suddenly, at suggested retail price. Each drop is announced via email to more than 24,000 subscribers interested in allocated whiskeys, and shared across NHLC’s social media channels, reaching a combined audience of more than 191,000 accounts. Information on these limited-edition product drops and the participating outlets is not announced until the items are available in stores. Products are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and remain available until all stock is sold out. To ensure fairness, each customer is limited to six bottles.
New England whiskey social media explodes whenever the NHLC conducts their raffles and ghost drops.
“We are always listening to customers for advice on how we can get better, and while the feedback on the ghost drops has been 99% good, one thing we decided to do the most recent time based on customer feedback was hold the drops on the weekend,” says Mark Roy, Division Director of Marketing, Merchandising, and Warehousing. A veteran of the NHLC, Roy is the father of the commission’s worldclass whiskey program. “People told us that getting these bottles had been tough logistically when we did them during the week, because people were at work. The initial customer feedback about the recent Saturday ghost drop has been incredible.”
Bike Week Safety
Laconia Bike Week is an extremely large and popular motorcycle rally in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire that dates back to 1916. Approximately 300,000 attendees descend upon the state for seven days every year.
While the event takes place in Laconia, events and activities occur throughout the state. The increased crowds — while revenue-generating for local businesses — create the need for on-premise licensees to bring in temporary help to assist with significantly increased hospitality needs. In an effort the ensure the most successful and safest outcomes, the NHLC’s Division of Enforcement & Licensing conducts an educational campaign throughout the state, both before and during Bike Week.
“We want to make sure that all licensees feel comfortable with all the people that are going to be there that week,” says Mollica. “We provide an opportunity for everyone to be trained and feel comfortable with the swarms of folks that attend Bike Week. We want to change everyone’s idea about what happens during that week, and we want to make sure that they’re prepared for and understand proper alcohol service.”
Two weeks before Bike Week begins, the NHLC Division of Enforcement starts conducting educational premise inspections in and around the rally. The division also distributes educational packets that include links to online training, law references for both tobacco and alcohol licensees and other helpful tips that licensees can speak about with their staff to ensure safe service.
Additionally, leading up to the event, the NHLC Division of Enforcement offers both online and in-person training for all current and new servers to learn New Hampshire alcohol laws, how to properly check IDs and ways to effectively monitor for and prevent overservice.
Last June, the NHLC Division of Enforcement conducted nearly 560 premise inspections related to Bike Week educational endeavors. Additionally, the NHLC Division of Enforcement trained — both in person and online — approximately 500 servers and sellers of alcohol related to the event.
Each year, the NHLC Division of Enforcement deploys investigators to the Bike Week Rally and other areas around the state to conduct premise inspections, assisting licensees with compliance and ensuring the safety of the patrons at local establishments.
“We’re not in the business during Bike Week of going around and shutting people down,” says Roy. “Instead, we want to go in and train people ahead of time so that they can be safe and confident when 1,000 people come through the door.”
Roy resides in the Laconia area and has long attended Bike Week as an enthusiast himself.
“A decade ago, this event was just [Laconia destination] Weirs Beach. Now it happens throughout the whole state,” he says. “We want to be proactive and let everyone know what’s safe to do.”
Robots in the Warehouse
The NHLC and its warehouse/distribution partner, DHL Supply Chain, continually explore new ways to enhance efficiency, boost productivity and streamline operations. The distribution center, which houses all products sold in all NH Liquor & Wine Outlets and spans more than 271,000 square feet, recently introduced Locus Assisted Picking robots in its bottle pick area.
The Locus robots are one of several strategic enhancements made by DHL Supply Chain in its longstanding relationship with NHLC. Since partnering with NHLC in 2013, DHL Supply Chain has invested more than $50 million into the Bow distribution center, directly supporting NHLC’s sales growth.
Eight robots now work side-by-side with employees to boost productivity, efficiency and order accuracy. The robots are programmed to operate in three of the warehouse’s aisles, stocked with 3,000+ SKUs of products typically used for licensee orders, partial case orders and more.
The robots operate throughout the entirety of the order fulfillment process. After the employees program the robots with the order information, the robots move to the location of each product, carrying the load until the order is successfully picked, packed and ready to ship.
“It’s made it this kind of work much easier, because the robot knows exactly where to go and where the product is,” explains Deputy Commissioner Nicole Brassard Jordan. “It takes out the time employees would spend running from place to place. It’s very effective, saves time and our accuracy goes up.”
This improved process also prevents employees from engaging in activities that could cause preventable injury, such as physically pulling cumbersome carts throughout the warehouse, and ensures order accuracy by requiring multiple manual checkpoints throughout the picking and packaging process.
Each robot is programmed by an employee with a corresponding order number. After programming, the employee attaches an empty box to the robot’s base. The robot then travels to the first bottle pick location and prompts the employee to pick the order. It remains locked in place until the pick is successfully completed. Once the order is fully picked, the robot returns to the order fulfillment area. At this point, manual checkpoints verify the order before it is packed and ready for shipment.
As the most advanced technology introduced in the warehouse since the inception of the partnership, the integration of the Locus bots represents the future of logistics, and helps the NHLC deliver better service to its on-and off-premise licensee partners across the state.
90 Years of Cheer
Ninety years after its creation, the NHLC is one of the nation’s top five retailers, and one of the most progressive and profitable of the nation’s 17 control states. The commission serves more than 12 million customers each year, and delivers billions of dollars to the state of New Hampshire to support essential services.
To celebrate its history and impact on the Granite State, NHLC kicked off a year-long campaign, coined “90 Years of Cheers,” in August 2024.
“This milestone is obviously huge,” says Mollica. “I believe we are the first state to celebrate 90 years. It’s important for people to recognize that we’ve been around for that long and have been doing great work for so many years.”
During the celebration, customers who spent $90 or more at certain NH Liquor & Wine Outlets had the opportunity to win prizes, including 90% off in-store coupons, VIP concert packages, tickets to the Daytona 500 and NH Liquor & Wine Outlet gift cards. Several limited-edition products were also available for purchase, with special pricing offered on products like Grey Goose Northern Lights, Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey and more.
Brand teams traveled to select NH Liquor & Wine Outlets twice a month to host “Legacy Locker” events, giving customers a chance to participate in the program. In addition to their winnings, customers were automatically entered to win a bimonthly grand prize, which featured items such as a four-season package at Loon Mountain, a VIP Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom concert package, $400 worth of Live Nation concert vouchers, Boston Bruins tickets and jerseys, an outdoor kitchen makeover and more. So far, nearly 4,000 customers have submitted a copy of their receipt online to be entered to win one of the grand prizes, including a getaway spa package at Wentworth by the Sea valued at $4,000, a trip for two to Wente Family Vineyards and more.
To educate consumers about its 90-year history, NHLC launched a webpage, 90yearsofcheers.com, with information on where liquor sales in New Hampshire go, as well as details on how to win prizes throughout the year-long campaign. Featured throughout the “Where The Money Goes” tab on the webpage is a video detailing NHLC’s contributions to the New Hampshire General Fund over the past 90 years, a breakdown of how much goes to the different sectors of the General Fund, annual sales statistics and more.
The “Where The Money Goes” video has been viewed by nearly 2.2 million consumers.
“Whether someone imbibes or they don’t, it’s important for them to understand how the money we make goes towards the state’s general fund,” Mollica says, “and to understand that everyone benefits from the great work that the NHLC does.”
The commission has also run several digital campaigns through Google, Stack Adapt and Ground Truth to promote “90 Years of Cheers.” These resulted in more than 56,680 clicks to the webpage, and more than 10.7 million ad impressions. The NHLC also shared information on the campaign to its Facebook and Instagram platforms, generating nearly 1.7 million impressions and more than 33,800 clicks to the “90 Years of Cheers” webpage. Nearly 34,000 people visited a NH Liquor & Wine Outlet location after seeing one of the online ads.
With thousands of in-store visits, prize entries and webpage clicks, the “90 Years of Cheers” campaign resonated with and educated consumers across New Hampshire and beyond. It also resonated with the officials who run the state and allow the NHLC to operate in an efficient manner.
“I want to thank the Governor, the executive council and the legislature for supporting us,” says Mollica. “We wouldn’t have the success we have without their support.”
“A whole lot of people go into making it 90 years, and we want to make sure that our program celebrates everyone,” he adds. “We couldn’t do it without our brokers and our support partners. Our program also celebrates our customers and our employees. This program is a big happy birthday to everybody, and here’s to the next 90 years.”
Best Consumer Education Program
by Krystina Skibo
Alcohol is deeply ingrained in cultures around the world, from celebratory toasts to social gatherings. Yet, despite its pervasive presence, a significant knowledge gap can persist regarding its effects, risks and responsible consumption.
Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services aims to change that.
While searching for different ways to tell their story and educate consumers at the same time, Montgomery County ABS decided to launch a podcast called “Spirited Discussions” in August of 2024. Each episode features experts either from within ABS or the industry as a whole to answer questions about alcohol sales and services as well as public health and safety.
The podcast’s main goal is to help residents and businesses understand alcohol products, trends and policies in Montgomery County. Created for a general audience, the series aims to demystify the County’s system and help stakeholders understand how impactful a control system can be.
Now on its tenth episode, “Spirited Discussions” continues to experience steady growth with more than 100 downloads per episode, placing it in the top 25% of the podcast industry for per-episode listens.
“Traditional communication tools like town hall meetings have given way to more convenient and accessible digital formats," says Jocelyn Rawat, communications manager at Montgomery County ABS and host of “Spirited Discussions,” says. "The podcast allows us to connect with a broader audience and tell a fuller story in a format that is more inviting for residents and more cost effective for the department. Now a year into publication, we continue to see steady growth with each new episode."
The shows pair a Montgomery County ABS subject matter expert with an outside partner, such as a licensed establishment, alcohol supplier, product ambassador or public health expert. These pairings, facilitated by a host, allow ABS to tell stories from multiple perspectives and provide a sense of the interconnectedness of the alcohol sector.
Notably, episode 3, titled “Control Model for Alcohol Distribution,” which features the director of Montgomery County ABS and the president/CEO of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, holds the top spot for the most downloaded episode. This shows that there is a public appetite for understanding the system.
Second and third place for top downloaded episodes go to “Literature’s Most Famous Drinks” with the public libraries, and “Top Ten Bestselling Beers, Wines and Spirits” with Breakthru Beverage.
Montgomery County ABS plans to record episode 12, titled “Perspectives from around the Country,” at the NABCA Administrators Conference in Bethesda, MD. This special episode will break from the model of two guests per episode and will feature members from each jurisdiction, offering snippets about their state, how the control model works for them and alcohol trends nationally.
While public health campaigns have made strides, comprehensive approaches such as Montgomery County ABS’ “Spirited Discussions” podcast better equips individuals with the knowledge to make informed decisions when it comes to alcohol. And the more knowledge that is given to consumers, the safer the industry can become.
Best On-Premise Partnership
by Krystina Skibo
Proper education and training on alcohol safety is crucial for those who work in hospitality. This training, often referred to as Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) or alcohol awareness training, can teach employees how to intervene and de-escalate threatening situations.
Preventing these types of situations is why Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) expanded its licensee education program in 2025. The new and improved program includes a partnership with the non-profit organization Safe Bars to provide free bystander intervention and de-escalation training in preventing sexual violence.
Brought to life in 2013, Safe Bars was created out of a need for greater safety in the hospitality industry. The non-profit has grown from training staff at DC bars to training teams and establishments nationally and internationally. Their curriculum has expanded to include bystander intervention, de-escalation and allyship training.
Provided as neighborhood-based workshops, the partnership program with Safe Bars gives licensed establishments tools to ensure their bars, restaurants and other event sites are safe, welcoming and respectful places for patrons and staff.
The program is free for participants, but space is limited. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register by calling the Montgomery County ABS Communications Center at 240-777-1900.
“As the most diverse in the nation, Montgomery County prides itself in being a welcoming community with safe social places for everyone,” says Kathie Durbin, director of Montgomery County ABS. “In support of this broader effort, and with funding from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, ABS is pleased to partner with Safe Bars to help hospitality professionals recognize the early signs of sexual aggression and take steps to intervene safely and effectively when they see it.”
After participating in Safe Bars Bystander Intervention Training’s initial success, the Montgomery County police department and Commission for Women said they will continue to commit to future sessions, according to Durbin.
Funded by a National Alcohol Beverage Control Association award, the program has received strong support from hotels and other on-premises establishments, some of which sent multiple employees for the three-hour training. Montgomery County’s police department and Commission for Women have also contributed to the program’s success.
With the help of Safe Bars Bystander Intervention Training, participants have learned how to spot warning signs for sexual violence, brainstorming solutions for different types of risks and role-playing potential scenarios.
According to Jocelyn Rawat, communications manager at Montgomery County ABS, some participants are finding themselves deeply moved by the stories and statistics shared in the workshop, with everyone coming away with new perspectives and tools.
And Montgomery County ABS doesn’t plan on stopping here. With the help of the StateWays Best Practices Awards, the organization continuously comes up with new innovations to help spread alcohol awareness and education.
“We look forward to the StateWays Best Practices Awards every year,” says Durbin. “We always learn from our fellow control jurisdictions and appreciate the fun format for celebrating success.”
Best Enforcement Program
by Krystina Skibo
With how prominent online shopping is today, many consumers choose this avenue to shop for all their liquor needs. And even though this makes life easier for the consumer, it’s proving to be a continuous challenge for many liquor stores, suppliers and local governments.
The primary problems that occur with direct-to-consumer (D2C) shipping include age verification, enforcement, bypassing the three-tier system and differing laws from state-to-state, among others.
Despite this madness, the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement’s (OCE) approach to regulating DTC alcohol shipments has reshaped enforcement strategy in the state. It’s also drawn national attention for its innovation, effectiveness and potential for replication across jurisdictions.
Recognizing the growing risks posed by unregulated DTC shipments of alcohol beverages, OCE launched an innovative pilot compliance initiative targeting online shipments — both licensed and unlicensed — into Vermont. This enforcement strategy adopted lessons learned from the agency’s earlier success in curbing illegal DTC tobacco sales and applied them in a more complex alcohol marketplace.
“The enforcement program has really highlighted how critical it is to protect the community by testing and documenting how alcohol is being shipped online,” says Brandon King, deputy chief, Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery. “Through this program, we’ve exposed some gaps that could have put minors at risk.”
The different elements that the compliance initiative had included:
• Digital Marketplace Surveillance: OCE investigators proactively monitored websites and e-commerce platforms to identify businesses — both in and out of state — marketing alcohol for delivery into Vermont.
• Controlled Purchases: A total of 116 controlled online purchases were conducted using a designated residential delivery address and secure payment systems. Deliveries were monitored, documented and reviewed for legal compliance.
• Youth Access Testing: To assess risk to minors, select test purchases involved employed underage operatives, allowing OCE to determine whether sellers utilized robust age-verification protocols.
• Clear and Compelling Results: Of the 116 attempted online alcohol purchases, 40 packages were successfully delivered. Alarmingly, none were delivered in full compliance with Vermont law.
“The compliance initiative gave us evidence to address a growing public safety concern not only in Vermont, but nationally,” King notes. “It also positioned us to lead the national conversation around DTC compliance, which we have discussed at numerous conferences and events with stakeholders.”
Due to the success of the OCE’s compliance initiative, the administration has been invited to present its findings and methods at a variety of national forums, including The National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA) Annual Conference, The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) Legal Symposium and The National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA).
Through these presentations, the OCE has shared enforcement insights, compliance data and practical tools with regulators and enforcement professionals from across the country. These efforts have advanced the national conversation around DTC alcohol regulation and helped shape emerging enforcement models in other states.
“One of the biggest takeaways from this compliance initiative is seeing just how difficult it is to properly enforce online alcohol sales and shipping on a consistent basis,” says King. “The digital marketplace changes daily and keeping pace requires resources, collaboration and creative strategies.”
Going forward, King says the OCE wants to conduct more of these compliance initiatives, but more importantly, conversations need to be had with stakeholders about what effective enforcement looks like in this industry.
Best Retail Innovation
by Kyle Swartz
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) won our 2025 Best Retail Innovation for their recent launch of Distilled Digest. This biweekly internal bulletin was designed to streamline and modernize communication with employees — specifically, general managers in 575 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.
Before Distilled Digest, stores received a high volume of unprioritized point-of-sale messages — sometimes urgent, often overwhelming and rarely contextualized. This fragmented approach made it difficult for store leaders to identify what was most important or time-sensitive from a daily operations standpoint. Recognizing the need to reduce information overload and improve operational alignment, the PLCB developed Distilled Digest as a single, centralized communication tool tailored to the needs of frontline retail employees.
It was the brainchild of Angela Schaul, Director, Retail Operations & Stores.
“We wanted to create a communications bible,” Schaul explains. “I wanted to use all the best practices from other businesses I’ve worked with before.”
Delivered every other Tuesday via email and a web-based intranet, Distilled Digest connects employees to the most relevant operational, marketing, HR, training and store-level updates — organized for clarity, urgency and impact.
“There’s a continual tug of war for employees’ attention, so we wanted to make sure that we could deliver information to employees in as effective and efficient manner as possible,” says Carrie LePore, Deputy Policy and Communications Director. “We realized that while a lot of the information they had been receiving was important, the vehicle and cadence of how it was being delivered was not the most effective, so we started consolidating.”
Creating each issue, the communications team works with all other departments for content ideas. The most pressing information takes priority. “It really is a department-wide effort,” LePore says. “We work closely with Store Ops to review every article we consider for inclusion. Store Ops has the ultimate ‘yay’ or ‘nay’.”
Store Ops then lays out Distilled Digest using InDesign, and puts together the physical media.
“It’s great that the stores have a one-stop-shop for all the information rather than having to go around and click for everything,” says Kathleen Hey, Director, Bureau of Store Operations Support. “It saves time for people. It’s easier for managers during their one-minute meeting to say, ‘Here’s what’s going on’. It’s easier for people who have been away on vacation or traveling to catch up when coming back.”
In under a year, Distilled Digest has reduced message fatigue, boosted engagement and helped Retail Operations strengthen its connection with thousands of frontline team members, the PLCB reports. This supports a faster, more-focused and more-empowered retail environment.
Up next for the project is digitization. “We’re moving to a digital platform to react quickly and in the moment with information,” Schaul says. “We want to update our internal homepage daily with this information rather than only putting together a written publication every two weeks.”
Accompanying this digital delivery system will be a series of videos. “Angela and her team are about to bring the next evolution of this, which we’re calling ‘In Good Spirits’,” LePore says. “We’re going to be making videos for store employees to watch. It’s the next evolution in closing that circle of internal communications. It’s an opportunity to intimately connect with employees in 500-plus stores.”
Best Warehouse Innovation
by Krystina Skibo
In the ever-changing beverage alcohol space, traditional warehouse models are no longer sufficient. To thrive, companies must embrace warehouse innovation.
From optimizing inventory management and enhancing order accuracy to improving efficiency and preparing for future market demands, innovation can greatly improve operations.
Realizing the importance of warehouse innovation, Virginia ABC launched a Warehouse Optimization Workgroup, dubbed Team WOW, in 2022. This specific workgroup was established to drive operational enhancements to ABC’s 315,000 sq. ft. distribution center.
“Team WOW has strengthened Authority operations and efficiencies as well as enhanced our relationships across the country,” says Virginia ABC CEO Dale Farino. “These efforts by the Authority ultimately benefit all Virginians, making the Commonwealth a great place to live, raise a family and conduct business.”
Team WOW focuses on developing processes, metrics and best practices in the areas of safety, people, training and performance. In under four months, the team delivered 54 artifacts and results.
Three years later, the foundation built by Team WOW continues to drive annual success in distribution center operations. The team even set a new all-time safety record, operating 292 days without a recordable incident.
With the help of Team WOW, distribution center employees underwent structured and sustained training that prioritizes safety for the workforce and everyone they serve.
“Team WOW, at its core, set the culture around continuous improvement in the distribution center,” says Tyler Moore, director of distribution. “Team WOW emphasized that we should be asking ourselves every day how to make this experience better across the board.”
These impressive results have boosted operational efficiency annually, with fiscal year 2025 closing out 5% better than fiscal year 2024 and 27% better than fiscal year 2023 — the year of team WOW’s inception.
The distribution center’s highest recorded daily volume has increased to 44,456 from 37,346 in two years, according to Virginia ABC.
"The distribution center team has sustained, and typically exceeded, goals set during the initial launch," Moore says. "Improvements include safety – the distribution center has reached new metrics for days without injury – efficiency, training and employee engagement."
While onboarding used to be informal, Moore explains that today there is a “whole onboarding suite” covering standard operating procedures, safety and check-ins at intervals after hiring.
Moving forward, the distribution center operations team will continue to work with Team WOW partners to drive continuous improvement.
“We are in a radically different place than we were pre-Team WOW,” says Moore. “The mindset doesn’t change regardless of whatever milestones we hit. Our current milestones are to hit a calendar year without a recordable (injury). Our stretch goal is a 5% improvement in efficiency for fiscal year 2026.”
Best Stakeholder/Legislative Outreach Program
by Krystina Skibo
The beverage alcohol industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving sector, and its regulations must keep pace. Outdated or stagnant rules can stifle innovation, create unfair market advantages and compromise public health and safety.
In April of 2022, Virginia ABC seized the opportunity to review its existing regulations and make the necessary changes to operate more effectively and better serve the authority and licensing community.
To create a modernized regulatory framework, Virginia ABC engaged external stakeholders within the manufacturer, wholesaler and retail tiers, as well as various education and prevention organizations, state legislators and industry organizations.
Authority representatives from the Board, Bureau of Law Enforcement, Office of Legal Counsel, Community Health and Engagement, marketing and hearings all participated in the review, as well.
“The extensive review of our regulations helped make them easier to comprehend, and it also made them a lot more accessible,” says LaTonya Hucks-Watkins, director and senior legal counsel, Office of Legal Counsel. “This review process set a new bar for community involvement. We wanted to cast a net out to anyone who would be acutely impacted by these regulations.”
The review process included monthly meetings with more than 70 participants, those of which included members from all tiers and educational organizations, while several smaller committee meetings focused on reviewing all eight chapters of the Board regulations line by line. These committees removed redundant, outdated regulations and amended or added new regulations to address innovations in the alcohol industry.
When the final revised draft of the regulations was completed in March of 2023, it entered the long and comprehensive state regulatory promulgation process. After multiple reviews by the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Planning and Budget and the Secretariat of Homeland Security and Public Safety, combined with multiple rounds of public comment periods, Virginia ABC incorporated some of the proposed changes.
The final draft was then approved and became effective in February of 2025.
“We modernized certain regulations, which is helping the laws keep pace with modern-day thinking and technology,” Hucks-Watkins explains. “For instance, regulations around using images of athletes in alcohol advertising and labeling were updated to reflect current name, image and likeness (NIL) practices for athletes.”
Virginia ABC also increased the schedule of penalties or violations to make that a deterrent for non-compliant behavior, according to Hucks-Watkins. These stiffer penalties aimed to encourage licensees to better understand and follow the state’s alcohol laws and regulations, keeping public safety front of mind.
Other regulatory structure changes included accommodation for new types of alcohol beverages, additional advertising flexibility and streamlined hearings and appeals processes for administrative hearings before the Board.
Due to the success of this new process, stakeholder engagement is now the standard in how Virginia ABC approaches sweeping regulatory changes in the future.
“In future reviews, we’re not making decisions in a bubble,” says Hucks-Watkins. “We’re considering the thoughts and feelings of those most impacted by the law.”
Best Trade or Licensee Education Program
by Melissa Dowling
West Virginia’s alcohol industry employs tens of thousands of service workers who encounter many forms of legal and illegal identification daily all while navigating the evolving legal landscape. The West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (WVABCA) aims to balance the requirement for compliance with the need to proactively educate both on-premises and off-premises licensees and their employees.
Along those lines, the WVABCA designed an educational “Best Practices” carding video to empower servers and sellers of beer, wine and spirits with a heightened awareness of the various forms of IDs. The video, which uses state-of-the-art graphics and illustrations, also provides a better understanding of new regulations impacting the alcohol industry.
An ID poster created by the WVABCA assists both on-premises and off-premises licensees. This poster also served in the storyboard creation, scripting, prop development, and narration of the “Best Practices” carding video, says WVABCA Commissioner Fred Wooton.
The WVABCA collaborated with the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to acquire various forms and styles of West Virginia IDs, which were instrumental in developing the carding poster and video. “A unique aspect of this project was the creation of four alias IDs by the DMV for our actors to use during the carding portion of the video,” Wooton says.
For instance, one actress used an ID with her picture taken while wearing a wig for a mock scenario. The mock scenarios section also covers several recent changes in alcohol laws, such as alcohol to-go (recorking, growlers, etc.) at on-premises locations and changes in store hours.
The carding video highlights both legitimate and unacceptable forms of West Virginia IDs. Due to recent redesigns of West Virginia IDs some confusion has arisen among WVABCA licensees, and the video aims to assist servers and sellers of alcohol in understanding these changes.
This video also addresses the WVDMV's new mobile ID initiative. “As this new technology gains wider acceptance, the video will direct viewers to the necessary resources to determine the validity of the mobile ID,” Wooten says.
The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) provided award funding for this project, which was completed in January 2025. “We also worked with local universities, West Virginia Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics,” Wooton notes.
The feedback so far has been positive, Wooton says, with some licensees noting how practical and easy to understand the video illustrations of acceptable forms of ID are. Many have also reported that the training is time friendly, unlike other server/seller training videos that can take hours to complete.
And several restaurants are already incorporating the 20-minute video into their new hire orientation process, he adds. “Both bars and off-premises licensees have expressed appreciation for the real-world examples and clear guidance on what to look for on an ID.”
The impact from the educational program may contribute to fewer regulatory violations and reduced administrative fines, says Wooten. What’s more, achieving compliance leads to fewer criminal citations and potentially reduced legal issues for business owners and employees. “WVABCA agents working in the field have a new tool to educate and work with licensees to prevent underage sales.”
Best Off-Premise Partnership
by Melissa Dowling
Ohio Liquor (OHLQ), a public/private partnership between the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) and JobsOhio Beverage System (JOBS), has implemented several on-premise partner strategies this past year. For instance, in June 2024, OHLQ hosted six in-person raffles for highly sought-after, allocated products at locations across Ohio.
During the events, bourbon industry legend Freddie Johnson met with consumers and signed bottles of Buffalo Trace and Sazerac products purchased during the events. Consumers at each event, which were held at six OHLQ locations, could enter a raffle for the opportunity to purchase one of three allocated products: Double Eagle Very Rare ($3,000), Blanton’s Gold ($128.99), or Weller Millennium ($7,500).
A total of 46 bottles of the rare products were available for purchase at each of the six raffles. In three days, there were 3,302 raffle entries and 276 winners. All the allocated products were sold, resulting in $949,872 in incremental sales.
OHLQ in September 2024 hosted four in-person raffles for highly sought-after, allocated products at locations across Ohio. During each of these events, Bruce Russell, associate blender and national ambassador of Wild Turkey Distilling Co., met with consumers and signed bottles of Wild Turkey products.
Events were held at OHLQ locations in Cuyahoga Falls, Columbus, Centerville and Cincinnati. At each event, consumers were able to enter a raffle for the opportunity to purchase one of two allocated products: Russell's Reserve 15 Year ($249.99) and Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph ($274.99). A total of 60 bottles were available for purchase at each of the four raffles.
In three days, there were 1,273 raffle entries and 240 winners resulting in $62,998 in incremental sales through the raffle alone. OHLQ also had a variety of other Wild Turley and Russell’s Reserve products for sale. During the four events, 1,494 bottles of product were sold, resulting in $130,394 in incremental sales.
Beyond the numbers, attendees valued the fairness of the process, the opportunity to meet industry legends like Johnson and Russell, and the chance to engage with brands in a unique and memorable way, according to an OHLQ spokesperson.
What’s more, retail stores saw a measurable uptick in door swings, driving incremental sales dollars, the spokesperson says. “And our supplier partners were able to leverage these opportunities to showcase their entire portfolio, not just the allocated items.”
OHLQ’s other on-premise initiatives include its first Holiday Lottery Quest, a select store bottle lottery that took place at 231 OHLQ locations from Nov. 18, through Dec. 2, 2024. Featuring nine highly sought-after lottery products, consumers entered the Quest by visiting participating OHLQ locations and obtaining a unique ticket.
When the lottery closed, OHLQ had received 172,210 entries. There were a total of 4,430 bottles sold, resulting in $734,129.88 in sales.
And OHLQ’s Single Barrel Saturday — its third, which took place on Nov. 16, 2024 — was Ohio’s largest release of single barrel products, including 36 different items from 14 brands. OHLQ released 38,268 bottles of unique, sought-after products at 231 locations across Ohio.
In one day, these locations sold 29,784 bottles or 78% of all the special release products. By the end of the day, there was $2,042,965 in incremental sales resulting in total daily retail sales of $7,316,635.
“OHLQ’s success with raffles, lotteries, and Single Barrel Saturday underscores the strength of Ohio’s unique control model,” the spokesperson says. “These initiatives prove that retail innovation, supplier collaboration, and consumer trust can thrive together. By pairing fairness with excitement, we not only sell bottles — we build lasting relationships between consumers, suppliers, and the Ohio market.”
Best Technology Innovation
by Melissa Dowling.
In spring 2024, Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) deployed SOTI MobiControl, an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution, to modernize the way its Liquor Enterprise Service Center (LESC) supports mobile device operations across the state’s 482 contract liquor agencies.
This innovation dramatically improved remote visibility, troubleshooting, and uptime for RF scanners, which is a key tool in agency operations. These devices power key inventory tasks including receiving shipments, performing audits, cycle counts and item lookups. When scanners fail, agency operations stall. Before this technology was in place, issue resolution required lengthy phone calls and frequent site visits.
Using SOTI MobiControl, OHLQ now manages more than 684 devices statewide through a secure, centralized platform. This transformative rollout included:
Real-time connectivity status and uptime monitoring
Remote screen sharing for step-by-step support
Access to device error logs and usage history
Live location tracking and security controls
Remote resets and deactivations to minimize downtime or mitigate
security risks
From April through June 2024, the OHLQ team personally installed and enrolled every device by visiting all 482 agency locations in a statewide rollout. The phased launch began with a successful pilot among field auditors the week of April 14 and expanded rapidly, concluding by June 30.
While the teams didn’t encounter any unplanned issues during implementation, they did learn that when deploying larger installation packages (e.g., full OS upgrades), some locations with slower internet connections may struggle with over-the-air delivery. As a result, says a spokesperson for the OHLQ, “we built a backup process where an onsite auditor or support staff can perform the install locally using a laptop. It wasn’t an issue, but a takeaway that improved our deployment playbook.”
The results were immediate and measurable:
Faster response times: Technical issues that once required onsite support can now be resolved remotely in minutes
Increased uptime: Agencies experienced significantly fewer disruptions in inventory processing workflows
Enhanced training and support: LESC staff can now view user screens and guide them live through processes such as “receiving in Case Mode,” improving knowledge retention
Strengthened relationships: Agencies reported higher satisfaction thanks to clear, data-driven support and faster resolution
Prior to deploying SOTI MobiControl, performing scanner OS or software updates required onsite visits to nearly 500 liquor agencies, a labor intensive and time sensitive process that risked service delays during critical operations.
With SOTI, remote update capabilities eliminated the need for onsite technician visits for most updates. “The solution enabled us to deploy updates securely and efficiently across the state from a central console,” the spokesperson says.
“Even when pushing large OS upgrades, having MobiControl allowed us to pre-stage installations and use backup install methods only where needed.” The shift saved an estimated $130,000 in the first year (based on avoided field visits and travel costs).
More importantly, the spokesperson adds, “It strengthened our relationship with liquor agencies and auditors by reducing downtime, improving consistency and increasing confidence in our ability to support mission-critical tools without disruption.” •