corkage

American  

[kawr-kij] / ˈkɔr kɪdʒ /

noun

1. a fee charged, as in a restaurant, for serving wine or liquor brought in by the patron.

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corkage British  

/ ˈkɔːkɪdʒ /

noun

1. a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine, etc, bought off the premises

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Etymology

Origin of corkage

First recorded in 1830–40; cork + -age

Example Sentences

Professional wine buyer Kate Janacek, who sets corkage policies for restaurants, said even the ultra wealthy try to save money.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024

L’Avant-Garde offers corkage for $50 per bottle and, unusual for a lot of establishments, doesn’t limit the number of bottles a diner can bring to the restaurant.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

Napa Valley’s French Laundry charges a $150 corkage fee just for the privilege of bringing in your own wine into the eatery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2022

Diners can buy bottles off the shelf at retail prices, take them home or pay a $10 corkage fee to drink them in the restaurant.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2021

As for the dentist, he collects the fixed charge for stumpage and corkage and one thing and another and you come away with a feeling in the side of your jaw like a vacant lot.

From Cobb's Anatomy by Cobb, Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury)