A Short History of Cocktails-to-Go in Florida Sale and delivery of vendor-prepared alcoholic beverage drinks–Cocktails-to-Go–will be permanent authorized under the Florida Beverage Law beginning July 1, 2021. Cocktails-to-Go were first introduced in March 2020 as part of Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-71 limiting restaurants’ dine-in service, in response to the COVID pandemic. Introduced as Senate Bill 148 and House...
Continue ReadingThe 2021 Session of the Florida Legislature will result in major changes to the Florida Beverage Laws affecting how craft distilleries and restaurants sell alcoholic products. Both houses of the Florida Legislature passed two major bills related to alcoholic beverage sales: SB 46 and SB 148. As of this writing, neither bill has been sent to the Governor, but...
Continue ReadingReady-to-drink (RTD) or canned cocktails are growing in popularity. According to Grand View Research, the global RTD cocktails market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.1% from 2020 through 2027. Kevin Roberts, the executive vice president of supplier engagement for the alcohol distributor Breakthru Beverage Group, said “You have a convenience trend happening, you have...
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 ReadingWho can delivery beer, wine, and distilled spirits directly to the homes of Florida customers? See the following summary chart and the explanations below. Florida Breweries Cannot Deliver Alcohol to Customers’ Homes While certain breweries are allowed by Florida law to sell alcoholic beverages to customers, breweries are specifically prohibited from delivering alcohol away from their licensed taproom or...
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 ReadingOne of the greatest challenges to opening or expanding an alcoholic manufacturing plant–whether brewery, winery, or distillery–is complying with local zoning ordinances. While many Florida communities have enacted specific craft beverage ordinances, most have not. As a result, getting that all-important zoning approval for a new or amended alcohol manufacturing or retail license can pose a time and cost...
Continue ReadingE-commerce allows entrepreneurs to build direct-to-consumer (DtC) retail businesses and manage them from anywhere. Whether selling snow skis or water skis (or both), geography is no obstacle for a good retail website and strong brands. When it comes to the heavily regulated alcoholic beverage industry, however, it’s not so simple (see How to Build a Direct-to-Consumer Florida Beverage Company)....
Continue ReadingThe next reception you attend might be catered by your favorite bar. Alcohol Catering: Bringing the Bar to You Florida’s Alcoholic Beverage Law authorizes alcohol catering by two kinds of licenseholders. An alcohol beverage catering license (13CT) is available to licensed food caterers, and allows them to sell and serve alcoholic beverages at events along with food catering (see...
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