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.

Some restaurants base corkage on the market value of the wine brought in.

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

All-Purpose Pizza charges a $25 corkage fee per bottle — and has no limit on the number.

From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2021

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

No horrible suggestions are proffered concerning corkage; on the contrary, he tests your wine, smacks his lips, and thanks you for communicating a valuable discovery.

From Old Calabria by Douglas, Norman

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