May is National Tavern Month
May is Tavern Month across the United States, and what a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate the long-standing role of local bars and taverns in communities large and small.
Tavern Month recognizes the more than 300,000 on-premise beverage alcohol retailers who conveniently and responsibly provide good times and great memories to millions of Americans. And Montana taverns are right in step.
“Taverns and tavern culture are an important part of Montana's broader community fabric,” said John Bodnovich, executive director of American Beverage Licensees.
“Montana's taverns provide an important service to the community as meeting places where residents from what are often wide geographic areas can gather and visit with their friends and neighbors.”
Tavern owners in Montana have a strong voice in the Montana Tavern Association and its leadership. Whether talking to state legislators in Helena or conducting grassroots advocacy with their representatives in Washington, D.C., MTA members are active and engaged in civic life and the political process.
Long known as the “Friendliest Place in Town,” America's bars and taverns represent the best of American social culture and the community spirit that is at the core of the country's civil fabric. Montana bars and taverns give to thousands of charities, provide thousands of jobs and entertain a huge number of patrons each year.
It's easy to take for granted the role local bars and taverns play in American culture. Today's bars and taverns reveal the changing cultural norms of the country while still reflecting the fiercely independent spirit of bar and tavern owners.
Bar and tavern owners continue to place a strong emphasis on responsible service by training employees and incorporating programs to prevent drunk driving.
Bar and tavern owners understand the responsibility that comes with serving beverage alcohol, and they take it very seriously. By using technology, training, and partnering with other members of their communities, they are doing their part to thwart underage access and alcohol misuse.
Bar and tavern owners work with state regulators and elected officials to support sensible beverage alcohol policy. They are the face of the broader hospitality industry and are quick to take up arms against those who would attack their lawful businesses.
Bars and taverns are also places were trends and tastes are developed, and customers can sample from a vast variety of products. Each independent bar and tavern maintains its own unique identity and appeal to its customers.
Whether it's a wine bar, a corner pub, a trendy lounge or a family-owned and operated tavern, they all provide a setting for meetings, remembrances and celebrations that is unique to their geographic area and customers.
Tavern Month has been celebrated each May for 58 consecutive years by American Beverage Licensees, the largest national trade association dedicated to supporting and promoting beverage alcohol retail community, and its on-premise predecessor, the National Licensed Beverage Association. ABL is joined by its state and local bar and tavern association affiliates this year to spread the word that May is Tavern Month. Let's celebrate!