Have you every watched a runner take a hard fall during a marathon? That’s how I feel about Mile Marker Brewing Co.’s closing its taproom last week. I am sure it was a hard decision for the Mile Marker team, and I wish them the best. I do not have any special insight into the situation at Mile Marker,...
Continue ReadingAs Florida-made craft beer, spirits, and wine continue to grow in popularity, Florida beverage manufacturers may find it hard to keep up with demand. Every growing manufacturer must ask: Should we expand? Deciding to expand involves answering a slew of questions, all while keeping existing production on track. This article reviews four primary questions a manufacturer must answer when...
Continue ReadingThe Florida Legislature is considering a pair of bills aimed at Florida’s wine and spirits importers. House Bill 1201 and Senate Bill 1552 are mirror images of one another. If passed, the bills would make technical corrections surrounding the “American source of supply” designation and would prohibit alteration of imported bottles of wine or spirits.
Continue ReadingManufacturers and bottlers of wine in Florida are regulated by the State of Florida and the federal government. This post discusses the state-level licensing of wineries in Florida. Are you interested in opening a brewery instead? What license is required to make wine in Florida? The Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) is authorized to issue two...
Continue ReadingBeverage manufacturers–breweries, wineries, and distilleries–are often the creation of a core group of owners. One of the owners might be the mad-scientist brewer, who loves to create new style-busting beers. Another might be the marketing genius, who believes that a beer can be sold with the right branding and marketing. Still another might be the financier, who knows a...
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