It's an ironic twist: after requiring South Carolina bars and restaurants to serve alcohol from minibottles only, the fight now is over proposed restrictions on the largest bottles available.

South Carolina voters agreed last November to end the minibottle requirement. Bars and restaurants could still use minibottles, but they would no longer be required to. They'll be allowed to "free pour" alcohol from larger bottles, just like bartenders do in every other state.

State lawmakers are working out the details of the final bill, since the House and Senate passed different versions.

Under the House plan, bars and restaurants would not be allowed to buy liquor in 1.75 liter bottles. The Senate version does not include that restriction, and lobbyists on both sides are working hard to push their positions.

On the one side are national distillers, who support the restriction against the big bottles. David Wojnar, who's lobbying for the restriction, is vice president for state government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, based in Washington, D.C.

He says he's worried that some bars and restaurants might buy cheap brands in the largest bottles then pour it into bottles of the more expensive brands. "We want to make sure there are as many safeguards as possible to make sure that those people who are buying their Abolut or are paying for a premium product, that they're actually getting it," he says.

On the other side is the Hospitality Association of South Carolina, representing state bars and restaurants. Tom Sponseller, director of the association, is also lobbying lawmakers, telling them that this provision would help only distillers at the expense of customers.

He says most bars and restaurants wouldn't be buying the 1.75 liter bottles anyway, because they require expensive "gun" machines to use.

But right now, if you rent a hotel ballroom, bar or restaurant for a wedding reception or other party and buy alcohol through them, they're allowed to buy the 1.75 liter bottles. If this provision stays in the bill, they wouldn't be allowed to.

"That is the most economical bottle," Sponseller says. "It could be as much as 10 or 11, 12 percent cheaper per ounce because of the size of the bottle. So mom and dad that are paying for the wedding would be the most hurt by that part of this bill." 

He says after decades of restricting alcohol sales to only minibottles, there's no reason to have any restriction now if it's only to protect distillers' profits.

The big bottle battle is one of only two sticking points on the final version of the bill, which lawmakers vow to work out before they adjourn June 2nd. The other issue is deciding who will be allowed to deliver alcohol to bars and restaurants.

Now, no one delivers--bars and restaurants must send an employee to a wholesaler to pick up their liquor orders. The question that has to be decided now is whether only the major distributors will be allowed to deliver, or whether smaller wholesalers will also be allowed to, to create competition.