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Wine in Grocery Stores
By Will Cheek, Alcoholic Beverage Practice Group Leader Media hype seized upon the recent Kentucky case that ruled in favor of wine in grocery stores. The front-page headline of The Tennessean trumpeted: “Wine-in-groceries effort gets boost from Kentucky Ruling.” Wine in grocery stores has been a hot topic for several years. Tennessee is one of [...]
read more »2012 Liquor Legislative Recap
By Will Cheek As usual, alcohol-induced legislation was popular with the 2012 Tennessee General Assembly. Legislators quaffed mass quantities of liquor legislation. Some made it to the state bar; others fizzled. We distill the most interesting and important beer and liquor laws of the 2012 Session. Wine Fails Again Most visible was the failure of [...]
read more »Alcohol Beverage Team helps Buffalo Wild Wings open 800th Store
Buffalo Wild Wings®, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), the national sports grill and bar known for its award-winning Buffalo, NY-style chicken wings spun in one of 18 mouth-watering signature sauces and seasonings, announced the opening of its 800th restaurant nationwide. The Company quickly raced past this milestone thanks to openings in Florida, Tennessee, Washington and California, marking [...]
read more »Will Cheek named to Board of Directors of The DISTRICT
Attorney Will Cheek was recently named to the Board of Directors for The DISTRICT. Geographically, The DISTRICT consists of three of downtown Nashville’s National Register Historic Districts: 2nd Avenue, Broadway and Printer’s Alley. Organizationally, it is a partnership of the business community, property owners, preservationists, non-profits and government agencies with an interest in downtown Nashville. [...]
read more »Direct Shipment of Wine Takes Off
Shipment of wine into Tennessee was illegal until the 2009 legislature authorized a new direct shipment license. Many industry observers thought that the direct shipment was a token to placate oenophiles, but result in few sales. Surprisingly, nearly 400 out of state wineries have paid the $300 application fee and $150 yearly license fee, plus [...]
read more »High Alc Beer Incites Legislative Furor
Many industry members thought that brewing high alc beer was already allowed under state law. Nashville Brewery Yazoo held a liquor manufacturer’s license and had been brewing a high alc beer named “Sue” for some time. But the law was not clear and a large brewery looking to locate in Tennessee wanted to clarify state [...]
read more »Popcorn Sutton’s Moonshine Legacy
This week, Will Cheek’s client J&M Concepts, LLC placed the first Tennessee White Whiskey, aka moonshine, in Nashville bars. (more…)
ABC Issues First Bar Liquor License
By William T. Cheek III September 2, 2010 marked an almost miraculous milestone that slipped by the vast majority of conscious Tennesseans. The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission issued the first legitimate liquor license to a bar since before prohibition was enacted in 1919. What about Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge? Blue Bird Café? Robert’s Western [...]
read more »“Safety of Patrons Is Real Question”
Will Cheek’s article was published in the Tennessean on Aug. 8, 2010. Handgun-carry laws in Tennessee are not hard for experienced gun owners to understand. With a permit, you can carry your handgun. You cannot carry your shotgun or assault rifle, for example. You cannot bring your gun into restaurants and bars with “no gun” [...]
read more »Will Cheek Quoted on Impact of Recession on Nonprofits
In a front page story about the impact of the falling stock prices on the ability of local foundations to support local nonprofits, the City Paper quoted, “William T. Cheek III, an attorney at Bone McAllester Norton and veteran nonprofit board member, expects the nonprofit community to step up and address the needs of agencies [...]
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