2025 BEST PRACTICE AWARDS
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, firstserved 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,
12 StateWays • Fall 2025 www. stateways. com