Beverage Legislation | Read Time: < 1 minute

FLORIDA BEVERAGE LEGISLATION: 2024 PRE-SESSION REVIEW OF BEVERAGE BILLS

The 2024 Session of the Florida Legislature will include consideration of a number of bills affecting breweries, wineries, distilleries, retailers and consumers. The 2024 regular session of the Florida Legislature kicks off Tuesday, January 9, 2024. This 2-month session will see the consideration of a number of bills that could affect the Florida beverage industry as soon as July....

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ABT | Read Time: 4 minutes

Florida Craft Distillery Licensing Challenges

Florida’s craft distillery scene has seen a remarkable surge since the enactment of the Craft Distillery Law in 2021. The numbers tell the story: from 84 licensed distilleries in September 2021, the count has now soared to 118 by September 2023. Many of these new licenses belong to manufacturers already operating as breweries or wineries, sharing manufacturing spaces to...

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Breweries | Read Time: 2 minutes

Steps for Winding Up an Alcohol Business

Winding up a business, especially in the world of alcohol manufacturing, involves a detailed process divided into three main parts: regulatory requirements, handling creditors’ claims, and managing assets. Here’s a breakdown of what each of these involves: Regulatory Requirements: For alcohol manufacturers, meeting regulatory demands is a crucial step in winding up operations. This primarily revolves around dealing with...

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Breweries | Read Time: < 1 minute

Alcoholic Beverage Industry Participates and their Roles

There are a number of different ways for businesses to participate in the alcoholic beverage industry. To get the right federal and state alcoholic beverage licenses and permits, you first have to identify what role or roles your business will play. Alcoholic Beverage Industry Participation Profiles provides a table of common activities in the alcoholic beverage industry and identifies...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 3 minutes

The Role of Local Government in Alcohol Regulation

When it comes to alcoholic beverage regulation, most of the spotlight falls on federal and state laws. These regulations are essential in ensuring the safe and responsible production, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. However, there’s a significant mistake that often goes unnoticed – the lack of attention given to local government ordinances and rules. In this post, we’ll...

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Breweries | Read Time: 2 minutes

Alcohol Transfers-in-Bond: What You Need to Know

In the world of alcoholic beverages, a fascinating process called “bulk transfer” takes place. This is when one manufacturer, known as the “shipper” or “consignor,” sends a large quantity of wine or distilled spirits to another manufacturer, referred to as the “receiving plant” or “consignee.” This type of transfer, often known as a “transfer in bond” (TIB), is quite...

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Breweries | Read Time: 3 minutes

Navigating Food Licenses for Breweries, Brewpubs, Wineries, and Distilleries

If you’re thinking about starting a brewery, brewpub, winery, or distillery, it’s important to understand that these businesses require special licensing for both alcohol and food. While alcohol has its unique regulations, it is still considered a food product by the primary food regulatory agencies. In this blog post, we will explore the requirements for obtaining food licenses and...

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ABT | Read Time: 3 minutes

Post-Licensing Changes that require Update and Approval

When you finally receive the necessary licenses to operate your beverage business in Florida from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT), it’s incredibly exciting and relieving. However, it’s important to remember that your relationship with these organizations is ongoing, and there may be circumstances in which...

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Breweries | Read Time: 3 minutes

The Two Big Questions About Tips

In bars, taprooms, and tasting rooms, determining who can participate in a tip pool raises two important questions. These questions revolve around whether managers should share in the tip pool and how employees with dual job roles should be treated when it comes to tips. This article will delve into these questions and propose potential solutions to ensure fair...

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Breweries | Read Time: 3 minutes

Kegs, Tap Markers, and Pallets: Handling the Property That Isn’t Beer

When it comes to delivering beer from breweries to distributors and from distributors to retailers, it’s not just about the beer. There are also kegs, tap markers, and pallets that change hands in each transaction, and the Florida Beverage Law does not provide much guidance on their management. This is why it’s important for all parties – brewery, distributor,...

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