Innovative Legal Guidance For Alcohol, Cannabis And Global Consumer Brands
Unlike many states, California law does not require employees serving alcohol to consumers to complete any responsible server training courses. Rather, it is optional and a practice that some corporate restaurant groups require. A new bill proposed on February 17, 2016, would establish the Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers (“RIBS”) Training Act of 2016. Beginning July 1, 2020, on-premise employees…
According to the Chicago Tribune, Goose Island sold its brewpub, taproom, to AB InBev, five years after Goose Island sold its brewery to AB InBev. Goose Island founder, John Hall, told the Tribune that he was unable to sell the brewpub under Illinois law at the time of the brewery sale in 2011. The taproom will be a subsidiary of…
Many craft brands — whether it be beer, wine or spirits — look to become a part of the community and establish their local roots by naming the brand after where it’s based. The examples are endless, including Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Gin, St. Augustine Distillery, Kings County Distillery, etc. Many of the issues with trademark applications in 2015 were related…
The TTB released a 2016 Ruling clarifying its interpretation of 27 CFR 6.99. This section permits the following: § 6.99 Stocking, rotation, and pricing service. (a) General. Industry members may, at a retail establishment, stock, rotate and affix the price to distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages which they sell, provided products of other industry members are not altered or…
New York’s Governor Cuomo must make a decision regarding legislation that would block the State Liquor Authority (“SLA”) from enforcing violations of out-of-state liquor laws by New York licensees, unless the violations were enforced by the other state. The bill summary notes it: “Limits the authority of the state liquor authority to penalize licensees based on perceived violations of the…
Earlier this week, it was announced that two of the country’s larger distributors, Charmer Sunbelt and Wirtz Beverage, united to form Breakthru Beverage Group, initially operating in 16 markets. There is even more consolidation happening in the middle tier of the three-tier system. According to Shanken News Daily, Southern Wine & Spirits, the country’s largest distributor, and Glazer’s, signed a…
Two of the country’s larger distributors, Charmer Sunbelt and Wirtz Beverage, united to form Breakthru Beverage Group, initially operating in 16 markets. The Charmer Sunbelt Group operates distributor and/or brokerage houses in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and has interests in the Alabama and Mississippi markets.…
New York’s Governor Cuomo today recently held the third Beer, Wine, Spirits and Cider Summit in New York. A video is available here. The result of both the summit and industry feedback, Cuomo announced that the State Liquor Authority (“SLA”) approved a number of advisories that will “help support the continued growth and development of New York’s beverage manufacturers, retailers…
Want to know which distillery makes your favorite (or least favorite) brand of tequila? Patron just launched a site (www.KnowYourNOM.com) listing distillers by NOM (the number used in Mexico to identify a distillery) and the brands produced at that distillery. For instance, did you know Deleon and Peligroso are both produced at NOM 1535? Or that Casamigos is produced alongside…
Today the TTB announced acceptance of a $450,000 offer in compromise from MillerCoors for trade practice violations. The allegations are that MillerCoors’ Miller Fortune had a buy back program where MillerCoors guaranteed participating wholesalers that it would buy back product that went unsold or expired if, in return, the wholesaler fulfilled certain standards. According to the TTB press release, that…