Florida Archives - Page 2 of 9

Florida Aug 28, 2022 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Beverage Suppliers: Meet State Recordkeeping Requirement with 3 Record Types

By Trevor Brewer

Three Key Record Types Florida alcoholic beverage suppliers–manufacturers, broker-sales agents, importers, and exporters–are required to meet specific recordkeeping requirements under Florida law and regulations. These requirements are summarized below. Meeting these requirements is best done by creating and keeping to following three record types: Inventory Records should be kept and updated reflecting all products in inventory at a given...

ABT Jul 4, 2022 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Exclusive Sales Territories Required for Beer Distribution in Florida

By Trevor Brewer

The Florida Beverage Law and related regulations contain no specific requirements concerning restrictive territories or any other contractual terms concerning wine and distilled spirit products. For beer and malt beverage products, however, the Florida Beverage Law, requires exclusive sales territories for beer and malt beverage products (collectively referred to here as “beer”). Since 1988, beer may be sold by...

ABT May 15, 2022 | Read Time: 4 minutes

What Jack Daniel Grill Tells Us About Trademark Licensing in Florida’s Alcoholic Beverage Industry

By Trevor Brewer

The Florida ABT’s 1998 Declaratory Statement tells that licensed alcoholic beverage retailers can pay manufacturers for the use of their trademark under certain terms. Friday’s Wanted to Create the Jack Daniel’s Grill In Declaratory Statement 98-01, the ABT was asked whether Friday’s Hospitality Worldwide Inc. (“Friday’s”, operators of the same restaurant chain at the time), a alcoholic beverage vendor,...

Breweries Feb 13, 2022 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Distribution Agreements: Buyouts and Buybacks

By Trevor Brewer

This article is Part 2 of our two-part series on the termination of beer franchise rights in Florida. For Part 1, see Termination of Florida Beer Distribution Agreements. Florida’s Beer Franchise Statute (Fla. Stat. s. 563.022) recognizes that a Florida distributor acquires a valuable franchise right when it enters into a distribution agreement with a beer suppler (whether brewery...

Breweries Feb 13, 2022 | Read Time: 4 minutes

Termination of Florida Beer Distribution Agreements

By Trevor Brewer

This article is Part 1 of our two-part series on the termination of beer franchise rights in Florida. For Part 2, see Florida Distribution Agreements: Buyouts and Buybacks. Florida’s Beer Franchise Statute (Fla. Stat. s. 563.022) puts severe controls on the contractual relationship between beer suppliers and beer distributors. Implicit to these controls is recognition of the beer franchise–a...

Florida Jan 16, 2022 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Mobile Alcohol Sales Are (Mostly) Not Permitted in Florida

By Trevor Brewer

Imagine a business–call it Mobile Bar–that brings the bar to you. You hire Mobile Bar for a reception, party or other event held at your home, office, or other private property. Mobile Bar has a cool, old trailer, truck, or standing bar that it brings to your location. Mobile Bar handles buying all the beer, wine and liquor and...

ABT Dec 26, 2021 | Read Time: 2 minutes

3 Considerations for Opening an Additional Florida Brewery or Taproom

By Trevor Brewer

It’s natural to want to expand a successful brewery and taproom to new parts of the state. Before launching that second Florida location for your brewery or taproom, Florida brewery owners should pay attention to the following three considerations.

Beverage Legislation Oct 17, 2021 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Grains of Paradise, and What They Mean for Florida’s Alcohol Adulteration Statute

By Trevor Brewer

Florida’s 150 Year Old Alcohol Adulteration Statute The Florida Beverage Law is, in many instances, confusing, contradictory, and just plain weird. It is also unenforceable in some aspects. Take for instance Florida’s Adulterated Liquor Statute, Florida Statutes Section 562.455. First enacted in 1868, the relatively short Adulterated Liquor Statute makes it a felony of the third degree to include...

ABT Sep 19, 2021 | Read Time: 4 minutes

Off-Site Alcohol Service by Florida Retailers

By Trevor Brewer

Alcoholic beverage retailers–including bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries–are often asked to provide off-site alcohol service–catering–for a range of events. In Florida, there are a limited number of ways in which an alcohol retailer can participate in providing alcohol service away from its licensed premises. Option 1: Sales to Private Party for Open Bar Alcohol retailers that have a...

ABT Sep 12, 2021 | Read Time: < 1 minute

Searchable Penalty Guidelines Table

By Trevor Brewer

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...