Getting your beer into distribution is supposed to solve a problem: the distributor takes responsibility for getting your products into retailers and collecting payment down the chain. But what happens when the distributor stops paying you? For a Florida brewery or other beer supplier, the obvious answer might seem to be: stop doing business with the distributor and find...
Continue ReadingBusinesses that manufacture, distribute, or sell alcoholic beverages in Florida often assume that if they can legally sell alcohol, they can also move it however they want. That assumption is wrong—and it is one of the most common sources of compliance problems we see. Florida law tightly regulates how alcoholic beverages can be transported, delivered, and shipped. These rules...
Continue ReadingOne beverage bill received a full vote by the Florida Legislature during its 2026 session. The Florida Legislature’s 2026 regular session officially ended (called “sine die”) on March 13, 2026. Although 14 bills aimed at the Florida beverage industry were introduced, only 1 consensus bill was passed by both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate and now...
Continue ReadingIn Florida, alcohol distributors occasionally seek to transfer their distribution agreements to new distributors. The roles of beer, wine, or distilled spirits suppliers vary greatly in these assignments. While, beer distribution agreements are tightly regulated by the Florida Beer Franchise Law. assignments of wine or distilled spirits distribution agreements are governed only by general contract laws and principles. Florida...
Continue ReadingFLORIDA LEGISLATURE PASSED TWO BILLS AFFECTING THE BEVERAGE LAWS The 2024 session of the Florida Legislature featured 8 bills proposing to change Florida’s alcoholic beverage laws. The session ended March, 8, 2024. Two of pairs of bills passed both houses of the Florida Legislature and are now on their way for signature by the governor. The other bills did...
Continue ReadingWhen it comes to alcohol beverage tastings in Florida, the rules are different for beer, wine, and liquor. For this purpose, a “tasting” is an event at which a sample of the alcoholic product is given directly to an individual customer for free. Generally, customers cannot be charged for the sample (but exceptions for Florida Farm Wineries and craft...
Continue ReadingAlcoholic beverage suppliers in Florida–whether manufacturers, importers, or broker-sales agents–are limited in the ways that they can get their products into the market. Generally, suppliers must sell their products to licensed distributors, and distributors must sell their products to licensed retail vendors. So how do suppliers introduce new alcoholic beverage products to Florida retail vendors? One way is to...
Continue ReadingThe world of beer is a dynamic and ever-changing one. Breweries and beer importers are always looking for new ways to introduce their products to the Florida market. However, the beer industry has its challenges, especially when it comes to distribution. In this blog post, we’ll explore the Florida Beer Franchise Law, specifically focusing on the concept of test...
Continue ReadingThere 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...
Continue ReadingWhen 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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