What happens when a Florida licensed beverage company violates the Florida Beverage Law? In 1994, the ABT issued penalty guidelines concerning single and repeated violations of the Florida Beverage Law. While these penalty guidelines have not been updated to reflect all changes to the law since 1994, it is a helpful guide to the ABT’s disciplinary actions. Unfortunately, the...
Continue ReadingWe reviewed the 2021 Florida Craft Distilleries Law in two prior blog posts–2021 Florida Craft Distilleries Law: General Overview and 2021 Florida Craft Distilleries Law: Destination Entertainment Venues–but questions remain. Following are just five questions we have about the new law. Question #1: Can new Florida craft distillery apply directly for the DD(CD) license? It is unclear whether a...
Continue ReadingArgentina’s Favorite Italian Spirit Fernet is an aromatic spirit made from herbs and spices in a grape spirit base. It can be enjoyed as a digestif, as the prominent ingredient in a cocktail, or as a cocktail bitter. Fernet originated in Italy, and the Italian distillery Fratelli Branca is the leading worldwide producer. However, fernet is most popular in...
Continue ReadingIn most cases, a craft brewery in Florida consists of a single structure divided into two parts. One part is the brewery, which has the required federal and state licenses to make beer. The other part is the taproom, which has a state license to sell beer for consumption on premises (and might also be licensed as a restaurant)....
Continue ReadingLate Payment to Distributors Can Land a Vendor on the “No Sale” List Florida alcoholic beverage vendors can end up on the Delinquent Account List–also called the “No Sale” List–if they fail to timely pay a distributor’s invoice. When a vendor purchases alcoholic beverages from a distributor, the vendor’s payment must be delivered no later than the 10th day...
Continue ReadingLike alcoholic beverage manufacturers, distributors, and vendors, importers and exporters are subject to strict regulations and licensing by the federal government and the State of Florida. What Florida Importers & Exporters Can and Cannot Do In the alcoholic sales channel, importers play the role of getting products from overseas through US Customs and into the hands of distributors. Licensed...
Continue ReadingThe Separation of Tiers In the aftermath of the Repeal of Prohibition, most states adopted some form of the Three Tier System. Generally, the Three Tier System is intended to regulate the alcoholic beverage industry by separating manufacturers and importers (First Tier), distributors and wholesalers (Second Tier), and retail vendors (Third Tier). Florida has a strong Three Tier System....
Continue ReadingThe Florida ABT’s 2012 Declaratory Statement In re BK Whopper Bar, LLC tells us how the ABT thinks about the present separation of alcoholic beverage manufacturers, distributors, and vendors. BK Whopper Bar Asked and the ABT Answered In 2011, BK Whopper Bar, LLC and Burger King Corporation asked the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (ABT) to issue...
Continue ReadingFlorida Division of Business and Professional Regulations (DBPR) has provided the following FAQ related to Restaurants, Bars and Nightclubs for compliance with Governor DeSantis’ emergency order in response to Covid-19. Good news for breweries and wineries–and those that support them: carry-out orders are permitted. This applies to packaged products, including growlers and crowlers.
Continue ReadingManufacturing beer, wine, and distilled spirits involves a surprising amount of paperwork. From monthly production reports to fictitious name renewals every 5 years, there’s a lot of deadlines to keep track of. We’ve created an information sheet to help. Filing Deadlines for Florida Beverage Manufacturers is a simple chart of the deadlines of the most common production reports, tax...
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