Liquor board approves change to allow premixed infusions to be held five days before service

The Frederick County Board of License Commissioners voted Feb. 9 to amend a county regulation to permit premixed alcoholic infusions — items licensees prepare in advance for cocktails like sangria or Bloody Mary mix — to be held for five days before service instead of the current three-day limit.

Dawn Sugars, licensing staff, said the proposal grew out of a request from a licensee operating in both Frederick and Montgomery counties. "Montgomery County allows 5 days," Sugars said, urging that Frederick align with that practice so firms with multi-county operations need not eliminate menu items. She noted the state allows infusions for immediate consumption but does not specify the number of days local boards may permit. Sugars also warned the board about the state concern for rectification — changes in sugar content or fermentation if products are held too long — and emphasized labeling and container requirements staff would adopt.

Legal counsel said he did not see legal objections in the record but recommended the board be prepared to produce evidentiary support if concerns about fermentation arose. Commissioners asked staff to draft the regulatory language with container-specific labeling and safeguards; the board voted to approve the amendment and to make it effective in March 2026, pending the standard public-posting process.

The change means licensed establishments that prepare premixed infusions locally may hold those mixes up to five days if they comply with county labeling and handling rules; staff said they will circulate the new language and compliance checklist to licensees.