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"Off-licence" is a term used in the Commonwealth and Ireland for a shop licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises, as opposed to a bar or public house which is licensed for consumption at the point of sale. The distinction between an off-licence and a pub is analogous to that between a take-away and a restaurant. The term also applies to the licence granted to the establishment itself.
Off-licences may be specialist shops, convenience stores, parts of supermarkets, or attached to bars and pubs. Typically, prices are substantially lower than in bars or pubs.
The name derives from one particular division of British licensing laws. Some public houses will also possess an off licence as part of their regular licence, allowing them to sell sealed alcoholic drinks (eg. unopened bottles of wine) for consumption elsewhere.
When restaurants refer to themselves as fully licensed this is usually misleading: they generally only have an on-licence.
Nicknames
- Offie
- Beer-off
- Bottle Shop (Australian/New Zealand)
See also
"Off-licence"