SRSW — Sampling Bar Compliance Sign

S R S W

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine · Est. 2023

Tasting Bar · Posted Notice

3853 Main St
Stone Ridge, NY 12484

The Sampling Bar · Rules of the House

New York State Law · Pour Limits · House Practice

The Rules

Patrons must be twenty-one years of age or older. Valid government-issued photo identification is required prior to any pour. Acceptable forms: driver's license, state-issued identification card, United States military ID, or passport. Identification may be requested at every visit, regular patrons included.
Pours conform to New York State sampling limits. Per-pour and per-day maximums are set by statute and posted in the diagram at right. SRSW observes these limits without exception.
Service is declined to any visibly intoxicated patron. New York law prohibits the service of any alcoholic beverage to a person who appears intoxicated. Refusal in such circumstances is a legal obligation of the licensee, not a discretionary judgment.
Samples are poured by authorized personnel only. Pouring is conducted by licensed SRSW staff or, where applicable, a duly permitted distiller, winery, or wholesaler representative. Self-service is not permitted under our license.
Samples are consumed on the licensed premises. Open containers may not be removed from the store. Patrons are asked to finish a sample at the tasting bar or to decline the pour.

The Pour Limits

Spirits

¼OZ

per sample

≈ 7 mL · about a sip

● ● ● 3 samples maximum per person, per day

incl. sealed RTD cocktails

Wine

2OZ

per sample

≈ 59 mL · about a third of a glass

Per-pour limit only No daily count cap

Cider

3OZ

per sample

≈ 89 mL · about a half-pour

Per-pour limit only No daily count cap

Cider & mead ≤ 8.5% ABV. Stronger ciders pour at the wine limit.

What This Bar Is

Taste it before you buy it. That's the whole idea.

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine maintains an in-store sampling program of approximately 150 selections across spirits, wine, cider, and sealed canned cocktails, rotated regularly as our catalog evolves. A small red tag on any bottle on the floor indicates that a sample is available at this bar. Please feel free to share what you ordinarily enjoy and our staff will be glad to recommend something we believe you will appreciate.

Pours are deliberately small. The intent of the program is not consumption but informed selection. We ask all patrons to pace themselves and to never drive while impaired.

Right to Refuse Service

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine reserves the right to refuse service or sampling at the discretion of management and staff. Service will be declined where, in the reasonable judgment of SRSW personnel, doing so would violate applicable law or store policy — including, without limitation, refusal to any person under twenty-one years of age, any person unable or unwilling to present acceptable identification, any visibly intoxicated person, and any person reasonably believed to be obtaining alcohol on behalf of an underage individual.

Refusal of service is a condition of our license and a matter of public safety. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

S R S W

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine · Established 2023

Sources & Authority · Page 2 of 4

Tasting Bar Compliance Notice
Revised May 12, 2026

Sources · Statutory Authority

Statutes and NYSLA Guidance Supporting the Foregoing Compliance Notice

New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law

§ 63(4) — Wine & Liquor Store Product Mix

Defines the categories of merchandise that an off-premises wine and liquor store is authorized to sell — namely, wine, liquor, cider, mead, and a discrete list of related accessories. The enumerated list is exhaustive; beer is not within the authorized product mix.

NY ABC Law § 63(4)

§ 65 — Prohibited Sales

Prohibits the sale, delivery, or gift of any alcoholic beverage to (i) any person actually or apparently under the age of twenty-one years; (ii) any visibly intoxicated person; and (iii) any habitual drunkard known to be such. Strict liability applies — apparent age and stated age are not defenses.

NY ABC Law § 65

§ 65-b — Affirmative Defense (Underage Sales)

Provides an affirmative defense to a charge of sale to a person under twenty-one years of age where the licensee or licensee's agent examined, in good faith, an acceptable form of photo identification — being a driver's license, state-issued non-driver identification card, United States military identification, or valid passport — and reasonably concluded the purchaser to be of legal age.

NY ABC Law § 65-b

§ 76(2) — Opening Sealed Containers for Tasting

Authorizes the opening of sealed bottles on the licensed premises for the purpose of conducting a wine tasting or sampling. Operatively cross-referenced by § 105(11).

NY ABC Law § 76(2)

§ 105(5) and § 105(11) — Retailer Tastings

Authorize licensed off-premises retailers to conduct in-store tastings of any product the licensee is licensed to sell. Tastings must occur on the licensed premises during licensed hours. Pouring may be conducted by the licensee or the licensee's employees, by a licensed manufacturer or wholesaler of the relevant product class, or by a holder of a current SLA Marketing or Solicitor's Permit.

NY ABC Law § 105(5), § 105(11)

§ 105-b — Pregnancy Warning (Separate Posting)

Requires the statutorily prescribed pregnancy warning to be posted as close as practicable to each point of sale. This is a separate, statutorily required notice posted at the SRSW point of sale and not addressed by the present compliance sign.

NY ABC Law § 105-b

NYSLA Guidance & Resources

Per-Sample Pour Limits

Category	Per Sample	Per Day
Liquor (distilled spirits)	¼ oz · ≈ 7 mL	3 per person
Wine	2 oz · ≈ 59 mL	—
Cider (≤ 8.5% ABV)	3 oz · ≈ 89 mL	—
Sealed RTD cocktail	treated by base alcohol	per base

NYSLA Wine & Liquor Store Quick Reference (March 21, 2022) — “Can I conduct tastings at my store?”

SLA Handbook for Retail Licensees

The comprehensive NYSLA handbook governing the obligations of retail licensees, addressing tastings, signage, hours of operation, inspections, books and records, and employee restrictions.

NY State Liquor Authority — Handbook for Retail Licensees (May 2022)

Where to Read the Full Law

Full Alcoholic Beverage Control Law: sla.ny.gov/alcoholic-beverage-control-law
NYSLA Guidance Documents: sla.ny.gov/guidance-documents
Frequent Violations: sla.ny.gov/frequent-violations-abc-law-retailers
Existing Retailers Resources: sla.ny.gov/existing-retailers

NYSLA Contact

New York State Liquor Authority
80 South Swan Street, 9th Floor
Albany, New York 12210
General Line: (518) 474-3114

About This Notice

This compliance notice is posted in good faith by Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine at the tasting bar located at 3853 Main Street, Stone Ridge, New York. It summarizes the foregoing statutory authority and current NYSLA guidance for the convenience and information of patrons and staff. Where a conflict arises between this summary and the underlying statute or regulation, the underlying law controls.

Last revised May 12, 2026

S R S W

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine · Internal Document

Sample Bar Operations
Compiled May 12, 2026

Sample Bar Operations · Compliance Review

Current practice · Statutory posture · Identified exposure · Remediation plan

Current Practice & Statutory Posture

✓ Permitted

Sample Bottle Decanting

SRSW pours from sealed retail bottles into smaller, labeled 150 mL sample bottles kept on trays behind the tasting bar. Each customer pour comes from the smaller sample bottle, not directly from the original retail bottle.

Statutory posture

NY ABC Law § 105(11), invoking § 76(2), authorizes opening sealed bottles for sampling on the licensed premises. The statute does not require the customer pour to come directly from the original retail bottle. Decanting into a smaller serving vessel is within the sampling authority so long as the sample bottle's contents are traceable to the original source product.

Operational guardrail (the NYSLA expectation)

Sample bottles must be labeled to identify the source product. An inspector picking up any sample bottle on the tray should be able to match it back to a sealed-bottle purchase in SRSW's inventory.

Current label practice

Labels are written by hand at the time of decant — typically just the product name in marker. Spellings are not always consistent with the LightningPOS canonical product name, which weakens traceability.

Required improvement

Move to printed labels (Brother P-touch or DYMO at the bar) with three lines per bottle:

SRSW SAMPLE · NOT FOR SALE — header identifying the bottle as sampling stock
Exact product name — matching the LightningPOS canonical (same string as the Sample Index sheet and the retail bottle, no abbreviations, no corrected spellings)
Category and date opened — for shelf-sort and back-stock freshness rotation

Names print directly from the Sample Index sheet, which eliminates the misspelling risk and gives any inspector a clean read on what's in each bottle.

✓ Permitted

Refilling From Back-Stock

When a 150 mL sample bottle runs low, SRSW refills it from an already-opened retail bottle of the same product kept in back stock.

Statutory posture

Once a sealed retail bottle has been lawfully opened under § 105(11), it is "sampling stock." The statute does not require each pour to come from a freshly-opened bottle, nor does it limit the number of times a sample bottle may be refilled from open back-stock of the same SKU.

Operational guardrail

Wine and cider in opened back-stock oxidize within days. Rotate back-stock so the sample pour represents what a customer would taste from a fresh bottle. Spirits remain stable indefinitely once opened.

◇ Permitted — Conditions Apply

Trade Samples From Distributors — New Brands

When a wholesaler representative provides a free bottle of a product SRSW does not currently carry, for staff and customers to evaluate before SRSW decides whether to stock it on the retail shelf.

Statutory posture

Federal `27 CFR 6.95` carves out a legitimate "sample" exception from the otherwise-broad tied-house prohibition. NY ABC Law and NYSLA follow the federal framework.

Conditions for legitimacy

Brand has not been purchased from that wholesaler in the preceding 12 months
Volume within statutory annual caps (small-bottle quantities per brand per retailer — verify current TTB figures; amendments since 2020)
Bottle marked "sample, not for sale"
Wholesaler retains a record of the sample provided

Identified Exposure & Remediation Plan

✗ Not Permitted — Current Gap

Free Replacement Bottles — Shelf Brands

When a back-stock bottle is empty and the brand is one SRSW already carries on the retail shelf, current practice has at times been to request a free replacement bottle from the distributor for sample-bar use.

Statutory posture

Prohibited under NY ABC Law `§ 101-b` (tied-house) and federal `27 CFR 6.91`. Same brand + same retailer + ongoing free product is the exact "thing of value as inducement" pattern that the trade-practice rules forbid. Penalty exposure up to $10,000 per violation; NYSLA and TTB both enforce.

Why this isn't covered by 27 CFR 6.95

The federal sample carve-out only reaches brands the retailer has not purchased in the past 12 months. A free bottle of an existing shelf brand fails that test on its face.

→ Remediation — Effective Immediately

Replacement Bottle Sourcing — Going Forward

For brands SRSW already carries on the retail shelf, do not accept free replacement bottles from distributors. Substitute one of the following:

Pay for the replacement bottle as normal inventory through a regular wholesaler invoice. Cleanest. Cost trivial vs. violation exposure. Recommended default.
Open one of SRSW's own retail bottles. Pull a sealed bottle off the shelf, decant into the 150 mL sample bottle. SRSW absorbs the retail margin but the chain is fully traceable. Useful for slow-movers — converts dead shelf inventory into sample stock.
Purchase a smaller-format split (200 mL, 375 mL) where the distributor offers it, as actual inventory on invoice.

△ Other Items to Watch

Adjacent Operational Risks

Cocktail construction at the bar — by anyone. Combining two or more bottles into a mixed drink is on-premises preparation requiring an on-premises license SRSW does not hold. This applies to SRSW staff AND to distributor reps at scheduled tasting events. A wholesaler rep's marketing permit (`§ 95`) authorizes pouring samples of the rep's own product only — it does NOT extend to building cocktails on SRSW's premises. Cocktail demos must use sealed RTD versions (treated by base alcohol for pour limits) or be hosted off-site under the rep's own license framework. § 64 vs § 105(11); § 95
Samples may not leave the premises. Open containers cannot be carried out. Patron finishes at the bar or declines the pour. § 105(2), § 105(5)
Per-day spirit cap. Three ¼ oz samples per person per day, hard cap. Exceeding converts the activity into unlicensed on-premises consumption. NYSLA Quick Reference 2022
Beer is out of scope. SRSW is not licensed to sell beer, therefore cannot sample beer. Cider (≤ 8.5% ABV) is in scope. § 63(4)

▢ Records to Maintain

Books-and-Records Hygiene

Sample-bottle log. Each 150 mL bottle labeled with source product. Internal record of date opened and source retail-bottle invoice (where practical).
Trade-sample receipt log. Dated entries for any wholesaler sample bottle received: brand, distributor, basis (cite 27 CFR 6.95 on the entry).
Standard wholesaler invoices. For paid replacement bottles — same B&R folder as ordinary inventory. § 105(15) — 2-year retention

S R S W

Stone Ridge Spirits & Wine · Internal Document

Tasting Events Compliance
Compiled May 12, 2026

Tasting Events · Compliance Review

Event formats SRSW practices · Statutory posture · Conditions, risks, and discipline

Event Formats SRSW Practices

✓ Permitted — See Page 3

Daily Sample Bar

SRSW's primary tasting program: ~150 labeled 150 mL sample bottles on trays behind the tasting bar, available throughout licensed hours.

Full statutory posture, current practice, and remediation items covered on Page 3. Cross-reference only on this page.

✓ Permitted

Impromptu Register Tastings

Staff occasionally opens a product at or near the register and offers pours to interested customers, on the spot — no scheduled event, no advance announcement.

Statutory posture

Same § 105(11) sampling authority as the formal sample bar. The location within the licensed premises is not material; the activity is "tasting or sampling on the licensed premises."

Operational guardrail

Once opened at the register, the bottle becomes sampling stock. It cannot be returned to sealed retail for sale. Either (i) continue sampling from it, (ii) transfer to a labeled 150 mL sample bottle for the back-bar, or (iii) pour to waste. Pour limits (¼ oz spirits · 2 oz wine · 3 oz cider) and 21+ verification apply identically to the bar.

◇ Permitted — Conditions Apply

Distributor-Led Monthly Tastings

Roughly monthly, SRSW schedules tastings with one or two distributors who bring their own products to pour. Held at the SRSW store during normal store hours. Free admission, open to walk-ins. SRSW provides free palate cleansers (cheese, crackers). SRSW advertises the event in advance. The distributor rep stays for the full event and pours their own product.

Statutory posture

Squarely within `§ 105(5)` and `§ 105(11)`. A licensed wholesaler/winery/distillery representative pouring their own product on the retailer's licensed premises is the textbook tasting arrangement. The bottle the rep brings remains under the rep's control throughout the event and is never transferred to SRSW as inventory — eliminating the tied-house exposure that the sample-bar free-replacement-bottles scenario raises.

Conditions (all currently satisfied)

On the licensed premises, during licensed hours
Free admission — no ticket, cover, or "class fee"
Rep employed by a licensed wholesaler/distillery/winery (or holding `§ 95` SLA Marketing Permit)
No money or promotional support flows from the wholesaler to SRSW (no slotting, no co-op ad funding, no hosting fee)
SRSW pays for its own advertising and food
The wholesaler's bottle is not retained by SRSW as inventory

▢ Forward-Looking — Not Currently Practiced

Trade Buyer Tastings

SRSW does not currently host these. Documented here because the legal framework now permits the activity.

Statutory posture

Under the retail-to-retail provision effective March 5, 2026 (Chapter 613 of the Laws of 2025), off-premises wine/liquor retailers may sell up to six bottles per calendar week to on-premises licensees (restaurants, bars, taverns). Hosting a trade tasting at SRSW for restaurant/bar buyers — to drive these wholesale-style sales — is now a permitted activity.

Conditions if SRSW chooses to pursue

Attendees must be on-premises licensees (verify license at the door)
Sales tracked per buyer against the 6-bottles/week cap
Both seller and buyer retain transaction records for NYSLA inspection
Otherwise governed by the same § 105(11) tasting rules as consumer events

Operational Conditions & Risks

◇ Who May Pour

Pourer Credentials

Licensed wholesaler/distributor/winery/distillery employees — may pour their own product without a separate permit. § 105(11); NYSLA Quick Reference
SLA Marketing Permit holders — may pour the products their permit covers, regardless of direct employment. § 95
SRSW staff — authorized as employees of the licensee.
Anyone else (independent brand ambassador, contracted promoter, non-employee winemaker) — requires a § 95 SLA Marketing Permit before pouring at SRSW.

Practical: at every event, confirm the rep's affiliation before they pour. "Who do you work for?" is a reasonable question and gets the answer needed.

◇ What Distributors May Bring & Leave

Wholesaler Materials at the Event

May bring for the event: their own product to pour, modest event materials (a table card, brand-printed pour mat, basic signage). Used during the event and removed at the close.
May NOT leave behind as a "thing of value": substantial signage, branded glassware, displays, fixtures, or other promotional items intended for ongoing in-store use. Tied-house concern. § 101-b; 27 CFR 6.91
May leave as a 27 CFR 6.95 trade sample: a small-format bottle of a brand SRSW has NOT carried in the past 12 months, marked "sample, not for sale," with the distributor keeping a written record of the sample provided.
May NOT leave a free replacement bottle of a brand SRSW already carries — tied-house violation, same issue covered on Page 3.

△ Food, Atmosphere & Discipline

Keeping the Event a Tasting, Not a Bar

Palate cleansers (cheese, crackers, light bites) provided free by SRSW — permitted; standard tasting practice. No NYSLA concern.
Food sold to attendees — NOT permitted. Food is not within SRSW's authorized product mix. § 63(4)
Atmosphere — keep the event a tasting, not a wine bar or restaurant. No seated dining, no programmed entertainment, no extended-consumption framing.
Pour limits apply per pour, per attendee — ¼ oz spirits, 2 oz wine, 3 oz cider. The per-day spirit cap (3 samples) still applies even at events. Exceeding converts the activity into unlicensed on-premises consumption. § 105(11); NYSLA Quick Reference
21+ verification — required by law. The `§ 65-b` affirmative defense to an underage-sale charge requires that staff actually examined a photo ID in good faith. At open walk-in events with new attendees joining throughout, this discipline matters.
Cocktail construction by anyone (including reps) — NOT permitted at SRSW's premises. See Page 3, "Adjacent Operational Risks." Sealed RTD cocktails only. § 64 vs § 105(11); § 95

▢ Activities Not Currently Practiced

Off-Site & Charity Tastings

Off-site tastings (wine festivals, farmer's markets, partner restaurants, pop-ups outside the store) — SRSW does not do these. If considered in future: pouring at non-licensed venues requires careful structuring; the off-premises retail license does not travel to other addresses. A separate permit, an event host's license, or a marketing-permit-based arrangement may be required.
Charity tastings (tasting events tied to a fundraising / non-profit cause) — SRSW does not host these. Product donations to recognized charities, when requested, fall under a separate framework and are handled case by case (the donated bottles must come from sealed inventory, recorded as donations, and remain consistent with `§ 105(15)` books-and-records).
After-hours private events — SRSW does not host these. Tastings must occur during the store's normal licensed hours. § 105(14)