Where can I take out my under 21s? 4SL age restrictions.

In town for a visit and the kids wanted to attend an Eli Young concert at 4SL. Then we found out the event is 21 only. I can only scratch my head. I have no Earthly clue why they want to deny young people the right to see and experience good live music. When I was my kids' age I had already seen the Stones, The Who, Led Zep, Frank Zappa... the list goes on and on. If the current batch of morons were in charge back then I wouldn't have been able to see dozens of those 70s classic rock concerts. I don't really understand why our generation is now being so anal retentive about what our kids can do.

I drove over to 4SL last night and asked the "gatekeeper" dude what the deal is. He said Under 21s can't go in due to all the beer sales. So... you know... I asked him if there were a lot of beer sales at the tripleA games, or at UofL games, or at the race track etc.. And while we were talking there were beer sales going on right next to us with Under 21s present... except in that case the concert was free. Does anyone know what drives this? Insurance? Lawyers?

I've been back in the States for a year and I am still absolutely bewildered by the paranoid alcohol laws. It's almost impossible to figure out where you can and can't go with your minor kids. I called around last night to find a place where we could get a bite and I could enjoy an adult bev. I don't know how many different explanations I got for how the law supposedly works. One well known Bardstown Rd place told me the kids were welcome.... oh wait a minute... we're closing the kitchen early so no, they're now not welcome.

Is there an easy explanation somewhere? What's KY Law on "Bars" "Restaurants" and the grey area "Taverns". I've been to some "taverns" full of families whilst others won't let minors through the door. What gives? And where can I go in Lousville for maybe some live music where my teen kids can get in too?

Basically at night all of 4SL is just considered a bar. The serve alcohol in the street and you can drink in the street. So you have to be 21 to even get onto the street.

Usually the free concerts though are all ages I thought though. So not sure whats up with that.

I don't have the answers, just wanted to add that I wanted to take my teen to a show at Headliners and their rules are no one under 18. Plenty of beer flowing there too, so there must be some managerial choice in the matter.

You might try and go to 4SL dinner about 6pm or something. And just hang out until the show. You guys will already be inside 4SL and unless someone kicks you out you can just stay for the concert. They won't rope the street off until closer to the show. Then they will start carding people.

Silvio, just an FYI, check each individual concert at Headliners when you want to head over there. Some shows are all ages, some 16+, some 18+, and some 21+. I was able to take my son to see The Neighbourhood a couple of years ago when he was 14 since it was an all ages show.

I've wondered what the rules are separating restaurants from bars/pubs, as well. I wanted to have a family dinner at Baxter 942 but was told it's 21 +. And one night we wanted to catch a late dinner and decided to hit up Highlands Tap Room. We walked in and they immediately said that my son couldn't be in there that late.

[Robin Garr]

Okay, I finally had time to do some deep Googling, and the results confirm what I thought: Those under 21 are allowed to be present in restaurants and hotels (although of course they may not buy or consume alcohol there); they are not permitted in bars, taverns, saloons, any place where food comprises less than 50 percent of the establishment's business.

Of course, this is what the law allows. Restaurants may choose to forbid minors at any or all hours, and in the case of 4SL, I'm thinking this is their decision to avoid the difficulty of keeping drinks out of minors' hands in crowded and active situations such as a concert.

Here's a summary of what I found:

* If the retail package licensee or a retail drink licensee does not qualify as a restaurant, hotel or other exempt classification, display the ABC sign reminding persons under 21 that they may not remain on premises.
http://www.abc.ky.gov/Pages/Compliance.aspx

* [N]o person under twenty one years of age may remain on any premise where alcoholic beverages are sold by the drink or consumed on the premises unless (1) the establishment is a h/motel, restaurant, convention center, racetrack, simulcast facility, golf course, private club, park, fair, church, school, athletic complex or arena, theater, distillery or brewery or winery tour, establishment where prebooked concerts with advance ticket sales are held ...
https://dbhdid.ky.gov/dbh/documents/sa/alcoholbook.pdf

[Robin Garr]

Thinking out loud, I'm guessing that the common area at 4SL, which operated under a special rule that considers the entire steet area under roof as licensed premises, may not qualify under the 50 percent food rule, so this may make the ban on under-21s mandatory for them. Just speculating here.

Thinking out loud, I'm guessing that the common area at 4SL, which operated under a special rule that considers the entire steet area under roof as licensed premises, may not qualify under the 50 percent food rule, so this may make the ban on under-21s mandatory for them. Just speculating here.

That's what I was wondering after reading your previous post. I don't believe they sell any food in the common areas, just drinks so they obviously would not meet the 50% food rule.