Synonyms

corkage

American

[kawr-kij] / ˈkɔr kɪdʒ /

noun

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

corkage British

/ ˈkɔːkɪdʒ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of corkage

First recorded in 1830–40; cork + -age

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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

Buy a bottle and it’s just a $10 corkage charge.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2021

The restaurant does not serve alcohol, but there are no corkage fees and the wait staff is happy to put bottles of wine on ice.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2019

If ladies carry their own wine from the steamer to a lodging-house, and drink it there, or offer it to their friends, they are charged "corkage."

From Manners and Social Usages by Sherwood, Mrs. John M. E. W.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023