But the Senate version of the bill would require that retailers pull 1-liter bottles of liquor from store shelves and allow them to be used only in bars and restaurants. Consumers who like minibottles would also be able to buy them at retail stores. That's not allowed under the current law.

Minibottles have been a fixture since 1974 and South Carolina is the only state now that requires their use.

"It means that South Carolina is going to join the other 49 states with having the option for free pour," said Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach. Elliott has tried to get the law changed for the past four years. "We believe it will help us tremendously with tourism and at resorts along the coast," he said.

Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, said that requirement and a $7.35 tax on liter bottles is the only way the state could be assured it wouldn't lose money from the change.

Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, said that change would limit consumer choice. It's like leaving consumers with the choice of buying a can of beer or a case, but no six packs on store shelves, Ritchie said.

There are plenty of choices remaining, Leventis said. And while consumers are loyal to brands and types of alcohol, "I know few people who are committed to a container size," he said.

Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, asked why it wouldn't make more sense to just tax bars and restaurants by the amount of liquor in the bottles they buy to pour drinks from.

But Leventis said that would be too difficult for businesses and regulators to monitor.

Leventis had held the bill up for nearly 20 hours through off-and-on filibustering during the past three weeks. The Senate quickly adopted the liter-bottle compromise he offered Wednesday.

That compromise also says taxes on the liquor bought for sale in bars and restaurants would rise with inflation.

Legislators will have to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill before sending it to the governor. It's unclear whether the liter bottle requirement will survive the conference committee negotiations.

Even if it doesn't, Leventis said, the conference committee will have to come up with some way of making sure the state's tax collections don't change or he may have to resume the filibuster.

Proponents want free-poured liquor, "they don't want to lose tax collections," Leventis said.

The Senate also gave final approval to a second minibottle bill that puts the whole issue before voters in November.