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.

Other establishments - especially those without alcohol licences - often do not charge corkage, and some have a policy where corkage is waived on less popular days to dine out.

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

I have seen some restaurants that have zero dollar corkage fee.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2016

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