As we look forward to 2022, we have summarized key alcoholic beverage legal changes in California from the past year that may affect your business. The below list of alcoholic beverage laws either went into effect immediately late in 2021 or went into effect on January 1, 2022. The legal changes span from extending pandemic … Continue Reading
On December 8, 2021, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (“LCB”) approved New Rules to extend temporary pandemic-related licensee privileges for to-go orders and permanently amend the food service requirement for liquor licensees. The New Rules are clearly a step towards providing licensees additional flexibility to sell alcohol products in light of the ongoing … Continue Reading
This post was guest authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Alex Pearson. With the Washington State Legislature’s third special session at a close, now is a good time for alcoholic beverage producers and distributors to take a moment to look at five bills that passed the Legislature and were signed into law by Governor Inslee this … Continue Reading
This post was guest authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Antonija Krizanac. Since the 2017 Oregon Legislative Session convened on February 1, 2017, the Legislature has introduced a variety of bills that impact the Oregon alcohol and beverage industry. Out of the countless proposed bills, five have already been signed by the Governor and will go … Continue Reading
This post was guest authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Emma Vignali. On July 23, 2017, numerous Bills will go into effect that will meaningfully impact alcohol and beverage retailers across Washington. Governor Jay Inslee will sign four bills that will create opportunities for alcohol retailers and simplify the licensing process for current and future licensees. … Continue Reading
Significant changes are on the way for Liquor Laws in Utah. H.B. 442 passed the legislature on March 8, 2017 and Governor Herbert signed it into law March 29, 2017. The new law makes numerous changes to how restaurants, dining clubs and off-premise beer retailers will operate. These changes will create opportunities for some, and present … Continue Reading
This post was guest authored by Stoel Rives summer associate Olivier Jamin. Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that D.G. Yuengling and Son, Inc., a Pennsylvania brewery, settled Clean Water Act (CWA) violations involving wastewater discharge into public treatment facilities for $2.8 million and a commitment to spend … Continue Reading
By Chris Hermann and Bernie Kipp: Type of Transaction – Asset Purchase versus Stock Purchase. Very important if the acquiring entity wants an immediate continuing operations privilege. Specifically If a PE firm purchases the assets of the target company (including the operating name, equipment, IP, inventory and the current brewery building) and intends to do … Continue Reading
The Pacific Northwest Cider Awards (PNWCA) held its second annual cider competition on June 5 and 6 in Seattle. On Friday, June 5, a panel of twenty judges made up primarily of media and cider enthusiasts headed to Seattle Capitol Cider to taste about 145 products in multiple cider categories. Over 35 cideries from the … Continue Reading
Clean Water Services (CWS), a water resources management utility in the Tualatin River Watershed, has been creatively exploring a new opportunity for the brewery industry. CWS is taking beneficial reuse of water to a new level by proposing the reuse of recycled water in the brewing process, a proposal first approved by the Oregon Health … Continue Reading
The folks at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“PTO”) received nearly half a million trademark applications last year. These applications included thousands of new filings by breweries, vineyards, wineries, and distilleries. Here are five important lessons we learned from last year’s decisions by various trademark tribunals about protecting and registering your mark in the beer, … Continue Reading
The Craft Beverage Expo is right around the corner, and there is still time to register! This inaugural event takes place in San Jose, CA on May 6 – 8, 2014, and the Stoel Rives Beverage & Hospitality Group has you covered! We are pleased to offer our blog subscribers a $100 discount off of … Continue Reading
Before entering into a distribution agreement, alcohol beverage producers should do their homework. Here is a list of questions to ask a potential distributor: Where are you doing business as a distributor? How long have you been in business? How did you get started? Is your state a franchise state? Are you affiliated with a … Continue Reading
Late last week, Oregon lawmakers shot down SB 1559, a bill that proposed what some called a compromise on liquor privatization in Oregon. It would have allowed grocery stores 10,000 square feet or more to sell liquor from their shelves, while keeping the Oregon Liquor Control Commission in control of the supply. Lawmakers sent the … Continue Reading
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) official Susan Evans, the Executive Liaison for State and Industry Matters, talked about ways to streamline the federal label approval process at the June 2013 National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) that I attended in Honolulu. Speaking on a panel, she said that the TTB has experienced … Continue Reading
Movie theaters with restaurant-style food service will reach a broader audience with the recent signing into law of a bill passed by the Washington State Legislature allowing service of food and alcoholic beverages to their patrons. The law as currently written allows some service of alcohol in movie theaters, but requires exclusion of minors from the … Continue Reading
Stoel Rives LLP offers its congratulations to Rick Garza on his appointment as Director of the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Today the agency issued a press release announcing the appointment will be effective June 1, 2013. Garza will be assuming leadership in a time of unprecedented change – the agency is on the tail end … Continue Reading
This week, a bill passed the Washington legislature that will allow a craft distillery to sell more of its product to customers visiting its distillery. House Bill 1149 has been sent to Governor Inslee to sign in to law, amending RCW 66.24.145 to allow a craft distillery to sell a maximum of three liters of spirits … Continue Reading
As the Utah Legislature wrapped up its session this week, it appears that a battle is brewing between the House and Senate over alcohol reform. Citing a concern with the “culture of alcohol,” the Senate declined to support many of the measures the House approved this session. The House voted to eliminate the so-called “Zion curtain,” … Continue Reading
Only two proposed amendments to Utah’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act passed during the most recent session of the Utah Legislature, which concluded on March 14th. H.B. 240 passed earlier in the session and addresses the “intent to dine” issue we reported on previously. Under the change, a restaurant licensee must confirm that a patron has … Continue Reading
S.B. 261 passed out of the Senate Business and Labor Committee this morning. The amendments address many industry concerns we reported on earlier this week. Notably, the requirement that a patron must be “seated” to be served or consume alcohol has been removed from the bill. The amendments also clarify that the new enforcement provisions … Continue Reading
The Pink Boots Society was recently granted tax-exempt status by the IRS, and is on its way to awarding its first scholarship. Congratulations! Please join PBS February 15th at Saraveza to celebrate.… Continue Reading
Utah’s liquor control agency has started citing restaurants that serve alcoholic drinks to patrons before they order food. The agency has shifted policy to now strictly interpret a key provision of Utah’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which provides: A full-service restaurant licensee may not sell, offer for sale, or furnish an alcoholic product except in … Continue Reading
Recently the Washington State University Northwest Washington Research Center hosted what is being touted as “the world’s largest (by variety) hard cider tasting” at the Center’s research facility in Mount Vernon, Washington. The WSU-affiliated research facility and orchard has allowed for the preservation of dozens of apple varieties from growing regions in France, England and … Continue Reading
