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What Is a Texas Mixed Beverage Permit (MB)?

A Mixed Beverage Permit, or MB, is the TABC permit that lets a Texas business serve liquor, wine and beer to customers on site. It's the permit behind almost every full bar and cocktail restaurant in the state, with about 20,900 active right now.

What an MB allows

Where MB holders buy their alcohol

An MB holder can't stock up at a grocery store or a regular liquor store shelf. Liquor has to come from a package store that also holds a Local Distributor's Permit (LP) in the same county, or the nearest county that has one. Wine comes from wineries and wholesalers, and beer from licensed distributors.

To-go drinks and delivery

An MB holder that also has a Food and Beverage Certificate (FB) can sell any kind of alcohol to go, including cocktails, as long as it goes out with a food order. Every MB holder can let a customer take home an unfinished bottle of wine that was ordered with a meal.

New locations post a 60-day sign

If a location hasn't held an on-premise license in the last two years, the applicant has to post TABC's 60-day sign outside before the permit can be issued. Those signs, and the applications behind them, are often the first public sign that a new bar is on the way.

MB sales are public

Every MB holder files a monthly mixed beverage gross receipts report with the Texas Comptroller, split into liquor, wine, beer and cover charges. The State publishes those reports, so you can see what any bar sold, month by month, back to 2007.

See any MB holder's monthly liquor, wine and beer sales, or find the top sellers in your city. Top bars by city

Sources: TABC License and Permit Types · TABC Alcohol Delivery and Pickup. This guide explains what public records show; it isn't legal advice. Check with TABC before acting on a licensing question.

Questions

Can a Texas bar with an MB permit sell cocktails to go?

Yes, if it also holds a Food and Beverage Certificate (FB) and the drinks go out with a food order.

How many Mixed Beverage permits are there in Texas?

There are about 20,900 active Mixed Beverage permits in TABC's records right now.

Can I see how much alcohol a bar with an MB permit sells?

Yes. MB holders report their monthly alcohol sales to the Texas Comptroller, and those reports are public. Bar Sales IQ shows them for every location back to 2007.

More permit guides

TABC Permit Types Explained: Every Texas Alcohol License CodeWhat MB, BG, BE, N, FB, LH, CD and the other TABC license codes mean, which ones bars and restaurants hold, and how to look up any business's permits.On-Premise vs Off-Premise Alcohol Permits in TexasThe difference between on-premise and off-premise TABC permits, which businesses hold each, what to-go rules apply, and why only on-premise sales are public.Texas Alcohol Taxes: What Bars Pay vs What Stores Pay (Current Rates)Current Texas alcohol tax rates: the 6.7% mixed beverage gross receipts tax, the 8.25% mixed beverage sales tax, sales tax on store purchases, and excise taxes per gallon.The History of the TABC and Why It ExistsHow the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission came out of the end of Prohibition, what it does today, and why Texas regulates alcohol the way it does.TABC Certification: Why Bars Recertify Their Staff Every Two YearsWhat TABC seller/server certification is, whether Texas requires it, why it expires after two years, and how keeping staff current protects a bar's license.Texas To-Go Cocktail Rules: What You Can and Can't BuyMyths and truths about buying cocktails, beer and wine to go from Texas restaurants: the food rule, sealed containers, ID, delivery limits and where to keep it in the car.Beer and Wine Permits in Texas: BG vs BEThe difference between a TABC BG permit and a BE license, what each allows for to-go and delivery, and why beer-and-wine places have no public sales.Texas Private Club Permits: N, NB and NE ExplainedHow Texas private club permits work, the difference between N, NB and NE, why clubs can serve in dry areas, and how to see a club's sales.TABC Food and Beverage (FB) and Late Hours (LH) CertificatesWhat the FB and LH codes on a Texas liquor license mean, who qualifies, and how they affect to-go drinks, closing time and required signs.The Red 51% Sign in Texas Bars: What It MeansWhy some Texas bars post the red 51% handgun sign, which businesses must post it, and what the RED and BLUE values in TABC's records mean.Texas Consumer Delivery Permit (CD): Who Can Deliver AlcoholWhat a TABC Consumer Delivery Permit is, which companies hold one, and how bars, restaurants and stores deliver alcohol to customers in Texas.Which Texas Bars and Restaurants Can Cater Alcohol?Which TABC permits allow serving alcohol at events away from the business, how temporary event approval works, and how to find caterers in your area.How to Look Up a Texas Liquor License (and a Bar's Sales)Three ways to look up any Texas bar or restaurant's TABC license: who owns it, what it can serve, whether it's active, and how much alcohol it sells.

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