ABT | Read Time: 3 minutes

License Applicant’s Guide to Understanding Florida’s Three Tier System

This article is Part 1 of a three-part series addressing a common, thorny issue in Florida alcoholic beverage licensing: Who can have a financial or controlling interest in a beverage company? Part 1 focuses on the Three Tier System and how it is enforced through the licensing process. Part 2 focuses on identifying the Interested Parties of a beverage...

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ABT | Read Time: 4 minutes

Q&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.

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 6 minutes

Florida 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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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 6 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – April 27, 2014

***Updated April, 27, 2014 9:00 pm to reflect proposed strike-all amendment to Senate Bill 1714 filed by bill sponsor, Senator Kelli Stargel. Updates reflected as struck-through and underlined text.*** This past week saw action on only two beverage bills, but the action was dramatic. With one week remaining in the 2014 Florida legislative session, the story becomes a tale...

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Beverage Legislation | Read Time: 3 minutes

Florida Beverage Industry Bills Update – April 20, 2014

 Happy Easter! With most legislators out of Tallahassee this past week, there was not much action on the beverage bills being consider by the Florida Legislature. That will change come Monday, when legislators return for the two-week sprint to the end of the 2014 session. The two Senate beverage bills showing signs of life–SB 470 and SB 1714–are both...

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Florida | Read Time: < 1 minute

Do Florida Brewery Taprooms Hurt Retailers?

That’s the claim made by some distributors, as reported in Craft Business Daily. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Alan Shaw (@AlanCShaw) has been at the center of the conversation with his web article and the comments to it. Alan writes: I understand why retailers and distributors are complaining about tasting rooms selling their packaged beer right to consumers, because the brewery...

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