Press Releases
Eighth Episode of Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services Podcast Explores Festivals and Special Events with Alcohol
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) has released the eighth episode of its podcast series, Spirited Discussions: A Podcast by Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services. The series helps residents and businesses better understand alcohol products, trends and policies in Montgomery County.
Titled “Festivals and Special Events,” the latest episode explores one-day or short-term events, such as festivals, fundraisers or concerts, where alcohol is served. The discussion provides tips for hosting these events safely and explains when an alcohol license is required.
In the episode, ABS Community Outreach Manager Roddy Aguirre and Montgomery Parks Activation Director Mike Coppersmith join host Jocelyn Rawat to discuss upcoming Montgomery Parks events that will feature alcohol. They explore how organizers ensure the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed outdoor recreation and how water quality affects beer production. The guests also explain what attendees can expect at a large festival and highlight how smaller nonprofit organizations can incorporate alcohol into their events, including the types of events that require an alcohol license.
“A license is required for any event that is open to the public and where alcohol is sold or included in the ticket price,” said Mr. Aguirre. “We help organizers determine the appropriate license type, craft an alcohol plan and understand their rights and responsibilities under the license. We’re here to make sure events are safe and successful for everyone.”
Montgomery Parks offers a variety of events across its 419 parks, which encompass 37,000 acres of parkland. Several of these events allow alcohol to be purchased, including:
- The Sligo Creek Fest — Transforms the Sligo Creek Open Parkway into a mile-long celebration featuring music, food and fun for all ages. Participants can enjoy live music on three stages, kids’ games, hands-on activities, food vendors and local breweries.
- The Parks Ale Trail — Features live music, local craft beer, food and hiking. Children can enjoy live entertainment and tree climbing.
- The Acoustics & Ales Series — Offers opportunities to relax, unwind and support local talent at outdoor happy hours featuring live music, locally crafted beer and food from small businesses.
The Board of License Commissioners, commonly referred to as the Liquor Board, is responsible for approving licenses for one-day events and festivals. Nonprofit organizations may apply for a one-day license to sell the alcohol themselves, or a festival license where licensed establishments sell the alcohol.
The Spirited Discussions podcast is posted on the Department’s website and is available on several podcast platforms, including Amazon, Apple and Spotify. To subscribe, click the “follow” or “plus” button on your podcast provider’s platform. Listeners are encouraged to email ideas and questions for future episodes to ABS via this email address.
The Office of Broadband Programs in the County’s Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions provides technical support for the ABS podcast.
ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County and operates 27 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, the County uses ABS’ profits to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that otherwise would be funded by County tax dollars.
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Release ID: 25-128
Media Contact: Jocelyn Rawat 202-604-7289
Categories: ABS