Florida Beverage Legislation: 2017 Pre-Session Review of Beverage Bills
The 2017 Session of the Florida Legislature will include consideration of 16 beverage-related bills.
Continue ReadingFlorida Beverage Legislation: Self-Distribution is On the Menu
Senate Bill 554 hopes to bring limited self-distribution to Florida’s breweries, but the legislation may only apply to new and small breweries.
Continue ReadingHow 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...
Continue Reading2015 Legislative Updates via Florida Craft
The Florida Legislature’s 2015 session kicks off in less than a month, on March 3, 2015. If you enjoyed our posts during the last legislative session about the bills that promised to promote or destroy, respectively, Florida craft beverage industry, then head over to to FloridaCraft.org. We’ll be posting legislative updates on Florida Craft’s website, leaving the Brewers’ Law...
Continue ReadingQ&A for Breweries: The FISA Lawsuit
What does the lawsuit by Florida Independent Spirits Association (FISA) mean for Florida’s existing breweries and breweries-in-process? Our take on January 14, 2015 is contained in this Q&A.
Continue ReadingWho Can Fill Growlers in Florida?
Can a Florida beer bar fill growlers? Can a Florida brewery fill growlers with guest beers? The Florida Beverage Law and related regulations do not provide a clear answer. So we took the next step. We called the government agency in charge, the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (ABT). Actually, we called each of the ABT’s Law...
Continue ReadingLabel Laws for Florida Beverages
Labels on alcoholic beverage containers must comply with both U.S. and Florida laws and regulations. The reason these laws exist is to ensure container labels accurately represent the beverage inside. Beverage manufacturers must include specific information on the product labels. Florida manufacturers must also comply with the Florida Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco’s (ABT) label registration process and, in some...
Continue ReadingDear 64 oz Growler, Florida Doesn’t (Intentionally) Hate You
The Florida law outlawing the 64 oz growler was never about the 64 oz growler. Prior to 2001, the Florida Statutes limited the size of beer containers to 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz or 1 gallon and over. That had been the law since 1965, when the limitation on container sizes was first introduced. A record...
Continue ReadingThe Florida Breweries Report – March 2014
The number of active Florida breweries increased by 4 in March 2014. Newcomers include Motorworks Brewing, Six Ten Brewing, Sea Dog Brewing Co. – Clearwater, and BrewHub. In addition, Yuengling Brewing Co. – Tampa is back in action, and Sailfish Brewing Co. makes the jump from the brewpub ranks. They’re all reflected on The Florida Breweries Report. Notes...
Continue ReadingFlorida 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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