Florida’s “Safe at Home” Order – Impact on Alcoholic Beverage Industry
Most of the activities provided by Florida’s alcoholic beverage industry are “essential services” under the governor’s “Safe at Home” order.
Continue ReadingCOVID-19 is a Force Majeure Event – What Does That Mean?
Force Majeure: It’s Out of Control “Force majeure” is one of those legal terms that might be hard to explain (and spell), but you know it when you see it. The term literally means “superior force,” but it has come to mean any extraordinary event that is beyond the control of contracting parties. Force majeure events might include acts...
Continue ReadingNo Dogs Allowed, Mostly
A surprising amount of confusion and inconsistency surround a simple question: Can I take my dog to a Florida taproom or tasting room?
Continue ReadingFlorida Distilleries Cannot Sell All of Their Products in the Gift Shop (Yet)
The 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 ReadingYour Florida Brewery Can Sell Liquor and Fill Growlers, But They Don’t Always Mix (Updated)
It is possible for a Florida brewery to both sell liquor and fill growlers and CrowlersTM, and there are two four ways to go about it. Four Options for Filling Growlers and CrowlersTM The first option is for a Florida brewery (actually, the taproom attached to the brewery) to get a 4COP quota license. This license allows a retail...
Continue ReadingAre Age Gates Required for Beverage Manufacturer Websites?
Visit the website of any US brewery, winery, or distillery, and you’re likely to be asked to confirm your age–either by entering your date of birth or confirming that you are over the age of 21. These are known as age gates. Are age gates required? Age gates are not legally required. However, website age-gates are required for manufacturers...
Continue ReadingBrewers’ Law 101: ABT Florida Retail License
The retail sale of alcoholic beverages (generally, any beverage with greater than 0.5% alcohol by volume) is regulated by the state government. Within the government of the State of Florida, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT). The ABT is the agency responsible for licensing the alcoholic beverage industry, for collection and...
Continue ReadingFlorida Property Owners Want Breweries
More and more property owners want to include breweries in their commercial spaces. As one example, here’s a listing for a commercial development in Eustis looking for a brewery tenant. Property owners recognize that brewery/taprooms bring in people.
Continue ReadingChoosing Trademark-Safe Names: 5 Questions
There are only so many hoppy, reserve, barrel-aged names to go around. This means that more and more otherwise happy, brotherly-loving brewers, vintners and distillers are taking aim at each other over company names and product names that may or may not be infringing on one another. Before deciding your next beer MUST be named Brewers’Law Lager, or whatever,...
Continue ReadingYou’re Invited to Florida Craft’s Kickoff Event
I am personally inviting you to Florida Craft’s Kickoff Event, Wednesday, October 15, from 5 pm to 8 pm at Redlight Redlight in Orlando. As many of you know, the Brewers’ Law team has for the last year been deeply focused on helping Florida beverage manufacturers—brewers, winemakers, and distillers—with the legal and regulatory steps for launching and operating their...
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