BERLIN, Md. - Worcester County commissioners are backing a proposal that could allow bars and restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks in approved “to go” cups during certain festivals and street events, a change supporters say would shorten beer truck lines and spread sales across established businesses inside a designated event footprint.
The concept would not create a free for all, officials said. Instead, it would let participating businesses sell drinks that could be carried only within the marked event area, similar to systems used in other Maryland jurisdictions.
Berlin Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells said the current model can leave brick and mortar businesses on the sidelines during major weekends, even as crowds fill downtown. During large events, nonprofits typically apply for event alcohol permits and sell through beer trucks, she said.
“The lines for beer, especially Oktoberfest, some of them that went halfway down the street,” Wells said. She called local restaurants “the backbone of our community,” and said expanding who can sell within the event footprint would be “a game changer for these businesses.”
Commissioner Ted Elder said the idea is about removing barriers between participating storefronts and the event footprint. Elder described a common frustration at downtown events, where someone with a drink may have to finish it or dump it before stepping into a participating business, and a customer who buys a drink inside cannot carry it back out into the event space.
“Basically, this is just dropping the barriers that’s in between that doorway and allowing the event footprint to be in and out of any participating businesses,” Elder said.
Wells said the proposal would keep guardrails already used at events, including ID checks, wristbands and branded cups, along with a ban on glass containers. She said the goal is to maintain control while giving local businesses a chance to participate alongside nonprofit-run beer sales.
Supporters also argue the change could boost tax revenue by keeping more spending inside local establishments during peak event days. Wells said events are a major economic driver for Berlin and other Worcester County towns, and the ability to step outside without leaving a purchased drink behind could keep people circulating longer.
Local business owner Bryan Brushmiller of Burley Oak Brewing Company said he supports the idea as a way to keep multiple establishments involved during event weekends, rather than concentrating sales at a single vendor.
“High tides raise all ships,” Brushmiller said. “So whatever we can do as a cumulative as a town makes us all do better.”
Wells said Worcester officials have looked to neighboring Wicomico County, where a similar framework took effect in 2025. She said Berlin and other towns would want to apply what has worked elsewhere, including clear boundaries and consistent rules for cups and wristbands.
Commissioners voted unanimously to support moving the proposal forward. Next steps include working with state lawmakers in Annapolis, including Sen. Mary Beth Carozza and Del. Wayne Hartman, to pursue the legislative changes needed before the concept could be implemented at events.