The council has relaxed restrictions on drinking at the beachfront Brighton Bier shop, run by brewery company Free Haus.
The original drinks licence for the gift shop, which is between the i360 and the Rampion Visitor Centre, in King’s Road Arches, had strict conditions.
It limited drinking on-site to special pre-booked events for no more than 12 people up to 18 times a year.
After a decision taken by a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel, which sat on Monday 17 April, the venue can now sell alcohol from 11am to 8pm daily and close at 8.30pm.
Free Haus director Stephen Whitehurst, 49, told the panel that he wanted to make his business financially sustainable.
He said that he had held weekend events over the summer to show that selling specialist drinks would not lead to more anti-social behaviour in the area.
Neighbouring businesses wrote to the council supporting the application and said that having another business open on the beachfront helped to reduce anti-social behaviour.
Sussex Police and the council’s licensing department objected to the application because the premises is within a busy area known as the “cumulative impact zone”.
Council policy restricts new alcohol licences in the area because of high levels of drink-related crime and anti-social behaviour.
The council sent a letter to Bier Haus setting out its decision. It said that the decision recognised that Brighton Bier was a specialist offering and had a wide range of non-alcoholic beers.
The council said: “Overall, the panel considers that the variation is not likely to add to the existing cumulative impact and that there are some exceptional circumstances.
“The hours of trading are limited and, coupled with the style of operation and offering, not likely to add to problems.
“Further, there is evidence from the representations in support that there are fewer issues when the premises is operating as opposed to having an empty premises.
“The specialised craft beverage offering and the marketing of the alcohol-free aspect is different and in the view of the panel capable of being exceptional.”
The licensing panel was made up of three councillors – Dee Simson, Jackie O’Quinn and Kate Knight.
That should keep the hipsters happy, on their way home from buying ‘vinyl’