Related: Liquor liability exposure and coverages

Where's the exposure?

It is important to know the different exposures that can lead to lawsuits under dram shop laws. Consider the growing popularity of "wine trails." Groups of people hop from winery to winery in one area — following a local "wine trail." These become all-day drinking events, which carry all the usual risks associated with large groups of intoxicated people: slips and falls, DUIs, etc. Plus, participants have started adding more and more distilleries and wineries to their itineraries — adding higher quantities of and higher-octane beverages to the mix.

It's key for these business owners to know that if someone was injured at the hands of a drunk wine trail trekker; each winery that person visited could get named in a suit brought against him or her by a third party. Additionally, while tasting rooms tend to sell at higher margins because of direct to consumer sale; owners need to be aware that this increased consumption on premises often leads to more intoxicated consumers. Owners and employees need to take measures to manage risk in advance.

This is just one example of how a winery, brewery or another establishment can be implicated in a lawsuit. However, it demonstrates some risk factors: large parties; drinking in multiple places; drinking too much; drinking without much food.