Dram shop laws are what make a bar or restaurant responsible for damages caused by a drunk driver who was served alcohol at those locations. The term “dram shop” comes from 18th Century England, when bars and restaurants sold gin by the spoonful. This was called a “dram.” The “dram shop” was the place that sold the gin to customers. Dram shop laws are extremely important, as they help protect the public from restaurants and bars over-serving customers (or from serving customers who are already intoxicated).