Breweries | Read Time: 3 minutes

Your Florida Brewery Can Sell Liquor and Fill Growlers, But They Don’t Always Mix (Updated)

It is possible for a Florida brewery to both sell liquor and fill growlers and CrowlersTM, and there are two four ways to go about it. Four Options for Filling Growlers and CrowlersTM The first option is for a Florida brewery (actually, the taproom attached to the brewery) to get a 4COP quota license. This license allows a retail...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 3 minutes

How to Take Advantage of Florida’s 2015 Beverage Law

When Governor Rick Scott signed into law CS/SB 186, he largely ended Florida’s state of growler confusion. However, the 2015 beverage law–which is now known as Florida Law 2015-12–will do much more to improve the status of craft beverages in Florida when it becomes effective July 1, 2015. This article describes how Florida’s breweries, distilleries, distributors, and vendors can...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 6 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – May 4, 2014

The 2014 session of the Florida Legislature ended, Friday, May 2. Twelve bills were proposed to change Florida laws governing the beverage industry. None of them got passed by both houses of the Legislature. The only beverage bill that got to a floor vote–Senate Bill 1714, which passed the Senate by a vote of 30-10–was loudly decried by Florida...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 6 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – April 27, 2014

***Updated April, 27, 2014 9:00 pm to reflect proposed strike-all amendment to Senate Bill 1714 filed by bill sponsor, Senator Kelli Stargel. Updates reflected as struck-through and underlined text.*** This past week saw action on only two beverage bills, but the action was dramatic. With one week remaining in the 2014 Florida legislative session, the story becomes a tale...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 5 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – April 13, 2014

The stage is set for the home stretch of the Florida Legislature’s 2014 session. This upcoming week, legislators return home for an Easter-week break. When they return on April 21, it will be a two-week sprint to the finish on May 2, 2014. Will any of the beverage bills make it to the end? It’s looking doubtful. This week,...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – April 6, 2014

It was a pretty quiet week for the beverage bills pending in the Florida Legislature–a little too quiet. With less than a month to go in the 2014 session and a week-long break beginning April 14, these beverage bills better get moving. We continue our recap of the action (and inaction) of the goings-on with the Florida beverage bills...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Beer Bills Update – March 23, 2014

As of March 22, 2014, a total of 11 beverage industry bills are up for consideration in the Florida Legislature. All but a handful of those bills are focused on dramatically reshaping the operation of Florida’s breweries. To help beverage industry players and enthusiasts track the activity in Tallahassee, we bring you our weekly legislative update. Committee Approves New...

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Florida | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Beer Bill Provides Comprehensive Rules for Taprooms, Brewpubs, Tastings, & Growlers – FL HB 7075

In House Bill 7075, the Florida House of Representative’s Business & Professional Regulation Subcommittee introduced a set of rules intended to clarify how Florida breweries get beer in their hands of consumers. The bill answers persistent questions about taprooms, brewpubs, beer tastings, and growlers. Two Kinds of Taprooms Permitted House Bill 7075 divides brewery taprooms into two categories: unlicensed taprooms...

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Florida | Read Time: 3 minutes

New Beer Bill Would Drastically Change Florida Brewery Taprooms – FL HB: 1329

On the eve of the 2014 Florida Legislative session, Representative Ray Rodriguez introduced House Bill 1329, which proposes big changes for the operation of Florida breweries. The stated purpose of HB 1329 is to authorize a “very limited exception to the three-tier system” by allowing breweries to sell their beer in growlers. While the bill does authorize growlers (in two...

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Florida | Read Time: 2 minutes

Beer Bills Pending for 2014 Florida Legislative Session

The 2014 session of the Florida Legislature is two months from starting, but already two pairs of craft beer bills put growlers and beer tastings on tap. Bills Authorizing Growlers & Tastings SB 406 and HB 283, identical bills in the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representative, would change the craft beer laws in two ways:

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