The end of the federal Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) on December 31, 2020 would mean big excise tax increases for small manufacturers. What is the CBMTRA and Where is It Going? The CBMTRA was passed along with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The federal law made changes to the US Tax Code...
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 ReadingThe 2020 Session of the Florida Legislature ended without passing major changes to the Florida Beverage Law, but a change to the state’s tax laws provides a excise tax credit for contributions to child-welfare charities.
Continue ReadingA surprising amount of confusion and inconsistency surround a simple question: Can I take my dog to a Florida taproom or tasting room?
Continue ReadingThe 2020 Session of the Florida Legislature will include consideration of a number of bills affecting breweries, wineries, distilleries, and consumers.
Continue ReadingThe laws concerning craft distilleries was updated in 2021. As a result, this blog post no longer reflects current Florida law. For the latest, see: 2021 FLORIDA CRAFT DISTILLERIES LAW: GENERAL OVERVIEW. Florida craft distilleries are allowed to sell their own distilled products in their gift shops. However, this does not include the products a craft distillery makes by...
Continue ReadingFlorida’s new Hemp Law became effective July 1, 2019, and with it “hemp” beer (and other products) is now legal in Florida. However, federal and state regulations still limit use of hemp in alcoholic beverages.
Continue ReadingZero out of 9. All 2019 Florida beverage bills fell flat. Nine beverage-focused bills were introduced at the start of the 2019 Florida legislative session. All nine died in committee (or didn’t even get that far). Despite the possibility of some sweeping changes, especially for Florida breweries and distilleries, the Florida Beverage Laws will remain unchanged this year. For...
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