Under Hawaii liquor law, what is the minimum alcohol-by-volume threshold at which a fermented liquid or compound is treated as intoxicating liquor?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (liquor)
Maui County Liquor Card Exam · Basics
Maui Liquor Card Exam Practice Questions: Definitions and General Provisions (2026)
The Maui County liquor card exam starts with the definitions in HRS section 281-1: liquor is any liquid or compound containing one-half of one per cent or more of alcohol by volume that is fit for or readily converted to beverage use, and a minor is any person below the age of twenty-one years. The same section makes licensee include all agents, servants, and employees of the license holder, so every duty placed on a licensee binds every member of staff. Get these definitions right and a large share of the exam falls into place, because the rest of the law is written in their terms.
Practice
Free practice questions
Which of the following beverages falls within the legal definition of intoxicating liquor in Hawaii?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (liquor)
Does the legal meaning of intoxicating liquor depend on what the product is named or marketed as?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (liquor)
For a compound to qualify as intoxicating liquor, what use must it be fit or capable of being used for?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (liquor)
How does Hawaii law define alcohol?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (alcohol)
Which type of alcohol is excluded from the legal definition of alcohol in Hawaii?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (alcohol)
Is synthetic ethyl alcohol covered by the legal definition of alcohol in Hawaii?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (alcohol)
What is the minimum alcohol content for a beverage to qualify as beer under Hawaii law?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (beer)
Which of the following beverages is included within the definition of beer?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (beer)
Which beverage is specifically excluded from the definition of beer?
Based on: HRS 281-1 Definitions (beer)
The definitions the exam keeps testing
HRS section 281-1 is a glossary with traps in it. Liquor expressly lists okolehao alongside brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, sake, beer, ale, porter, and wine, and it reaches medicated, proprietary, or patented compounds if they meet the alcohol-content test. Alcohol means the product of distillation of any fermented liquid, including synthetic ethyl alcohol, but excludes denatured alcohol that is nonpotable under United States customs laws. Beer must contain not less than 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume and be made by fermenting malt or a substitute; it includes ale, porter, stout, lager, and alcoholic seltzer beverages, but it does not include sake, cooler beverages, or any product of distillation. Sake instead falls under wine, because the wine definition adopts the federal Revenue Act of 1918 and expressly includes sake. To sell is equally broad: it includes delivering for value or in any way other than purely gratuitously, keeping or offering for sale, soliciting and receiving an order, and trafficking, and delivery by a licensee's vehicle is deemed delivery for value.
- Sake is wine, not beer, under HRS 281-1: the wine definition expressly includes it.
- A restaurant must derive at least thirty per cent of its gross revenue from food sales and keep suitable kitchen facilities for cooking ordinary meals (HRS 281-1).
- A club must have a regular dues-paying membership, employ a full-time steward, exist for at least one year before applying, and not operate for pecuniary gain (HRS 281-1).
General provisions: what needs a license and what does not
HRS section 281-3 makes it unlawful to manufacture or sell liquor without a valid license, then carves out a home-production exception the exam loves: the head of a family may produce, for family use and not for sale, up to two hundred gallons of wine and up to one hundred gallons of beer a year. Imported liquor must come to rest at the importer's warehouse and be held there at least forty-eight hours before further sale, and words like Maui, Hawaii, or Aloha State may not be used on liquor unless it is wholly or partially manufactured in the State. HRS section 281-2 excepts articles unfit for beverage use, such as vinegar, preserved sweet cider, and confectionery containing five per cent or less alcohol by weight; knowingly selling an excepted article for beverage purposes is a misdemeanor under section 281-102. HRS section 281-4 covers unlicensed premises: an operator who is not a licensee may permit consumption only between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m., and needs a class 17 license to continue until 2:00 a.m. Finally, HRS section 281-5 bans powdered alcohol outright: no person may consume, purchase, possess, sell, or distribute it in the State, and a violation is a misdemeanor.
| Rule | Threshold (source) |
|---|---|
| Liquid counts as liquor | 0.5 per cent or more alcohol by volume (HRS 281-1) |
| Minor | Any person below 21 years (HRS 281-1) |
| Restaurant food revenue | At least 30 per cent of gross revenue from food (HRS 281-1) |
| Club existence before applying | At least 1 year (HRS 281-1) |
| Home wine production | Up to 200 gallons a year, family use only (HRS 281-3) |
| Home beer production | Up to 100 gallons a year, family use only (HRS 281-3) |
| Imported liquor rest period | At least 48 hours at the importer's warehouse (HRS 281-3) |
| Unlicensed premises consumption | 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.; class 17 license to reach 2:00 a.m. (HRS 281-4) |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What counts as liquor under Hawaii law for the Maui County exam?
Under HRS section 281-1, liquor is any liquid or compound containing one-half of one per cent or more of alcohol by volume that is fit for, may be used for, or is readily converted for beverage purposes. The definition expressly lists okolehao along with brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, sake, beer, ale, porter, and wine, and covers medicated or proprietary compounds that meet the alcohol test.
Is sake classified as beer or wine under Hawaii liquor law?
Sake is wine. HRS section 281-1 defines wine as any wine within the federal Revenue Act of 1918 definition and expressly includes sake, while the beer definition expressly excludes sake. The Maui County exam tests this distinction because sake appears in the general liquor list, tempting candidates to file it under beer.
Who counts as a minor on Maui County licensed premises?
Any person below the age of twenty-one years, under both HRS section 281-1 and Rule 08-101-61 of the Maui Rules of the Liquor Commission. A twenty-year-old is still a minor no matter how close they are to their birthday, and the sale or service of liquor to a minor on any licensed premises in Maui County is prohibited.
Can you make beer or wine at home in Maui County without a license?
Yes, within limits. HRS section 281-3 lets the head of a family produce, for family use and not for sale, wine not exceeding two hundred gallons a year and beer not exceeding one hundred gallons a year. Selling any of it, or exceeding those limits, falls back under the general ban on unlicensed manufacture and sale.
Is powdered alcohol legal in Hawaii?
No. HRS section 281-5 provides that no person shall consume, purchase, possess, sell, offer for sale, or otherwise distribute powdered alcohol in the State, defined as a powdered or crystalline substance containing any amount of alcohol for direct use or reconstitution. Violation is a misdemeanor, and the Maui County exam treats this as a flat ban with no exceptions.