sign in sign up
<<
Home , Liquor store, Small beer

www.ablusa.org | www.facebook.com/ablusa |www.twitter.com/ablusa

ABL ANNUAL MEETING

Click Here to Visit the Meeting Website & Register Today!

CALENDAR

March 26-28 - ABL 15th Annual Meeting | Las Vegas, NV March 27-29 - Night Club & Convention & Trade Show | Las Vegas, NV April 3-6 - Tavern League of Spring Convention & Trade Show | La Crosse, WI April 3-6 - American Distilling Institute Craft Spirits Conference | Baltimore, MD April 10-13 - 2017 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America | Washington, DC April 18-21 - & Spirits Wholesales of America 74th Annual Convention & Expo | Orlando, FL April 24-25 - Responsible Retailing Forum National Conference | San Francisco, CA April 30-May 3 - National Wholesalers Association Legislative Conference | Washington, DC May 1-2 - Distiller's League Trade Show | Birmingham, AL May 2 - Package Stores Association 75th Anniversary Celebration & Tasting | Randolph, MA May 22-25 - National Beverage Control Association Annual Conference | Marco Island, FL June 5 - Illinois Licensed Beverage Association Annual Golf Outing | Springfield, IL June 10-12 - ABL Summer Board Meeting | Minneapolis, MN June 11-14 - National Conference of State Administrators Annual Conference | Denver, CO June 12-14 - Beverage Alcohol Retailers Conference | Minneapolis, MN July 30-31 - Package Stores Association 70th Annual Convention & Trade Show | Fort Worth, TX September 6-8 - 10th Annual & Policy Conference | Chicago, IL September 11-14 - Montana Tavern Association Convention | Billings, MT September 17-19 - Illinois Licensed Beverage Association 132nd Annual Convention | Alton, IL September 22-25 - Wine & Spirits Guild of America Meeting | , MA October 2-5 - Tavern League of Wisconsin Fall Convention & Trade Show | Appleton, WI October 16 - Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Fall Membership Meeting | Washington, DC ABL & PUBLIC POLICY News House Starts Work on Trump's $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan A key House committee next week will begin the slow process of turning President Trump's aspiration of a $1 trillion infrastructure initiative into reality. Trump renewed his campaign call for a massive push to update the nation's roads, bridges, public transportation systems, pipelines and ports during his address to Congress last month, but so far has not sent any type of proposal to Capitol Hill.

Should Maximum Legal Blood-Alcohol Content for Drivers Be Lowered? is on the verge of becoming the first state to lower the maximum legal blood-alcohol content for drivers to 0.05 percent. Lawmakers in the state passed a measure last week to lower the limit from 0.08 percent. Currently, all 50 states have a 0.08 percent cap. The National Transportation Safety Board has called on states for years to redefine what constitutes . The legislation is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Gary R. Herbert.

Consumer Savings to Vanish If Congress Pulls the Plug on Reforms for Debit Cards (Op-Ed) Six years ago, Congress saved consumers billions of dollars a year by introducing good old- fashioned competition to a business consumers rarely see but that drives up the price of every single thing they buy. This reform saved Americans $6 billion in the first year alone, says a noted economist, not to mention supporting more than 37,000 jobs. So why are some members of Congress talking about returning to the bad old days of price-fixing fees, squashing competitors and higher prices? Because the big banks want those billions of savings back in their own coffers, not in your pocket. ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE Moët Hennessy USA Moët Hennessy USA is the U.S. importer and marketer of world-class spirits, champagnes, and that are owned by LVMH. As the global leader in premium brands, Moët Hennessy USA's spirits portfolio includes Hennessy, Belvedere, Glenmorangie, and Ardbeg; Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug and Ruinart champagnes; and Estates & Wines Ao Yun, Cape Mentelle, Chandon, Cheval des Andes, Cloudy Bay, Newton Vineyard, Numanthia, Smoke Tree, and Terrazas de los Andes. With headquarters located in New York City and ofices throughout the , Moët Hennessy USA is committed to responsible consumption practices. INDUSTRY News Alcohol and Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) TTB Newsletter | Weekly News (March 17) Important Security Update That Will Impact Certain Users of COLAs Online, Formulas Online, Permits Online, and Pay.gov

Brewers Association Brewers Association Releases Top 50 of 2016

Center for Alcohol Policy New Report: Alcohol Industry Regulations Prevent Vertical Integration, Foster Competition and Protect Public Health

Distilled Spirits Council Distilled Spirits Council Urges House Committee to "Take Down the Wall" in Florida Distilled Spirits Council Hosts "Great American Whiskey Experience" in Vietnam

Shanken News Daily Impact Seminar: Diageo, Pernod, Southern Glazer's Look to Shape the Future Market

The Pew Charitable Trusts As Legal Marijuana Spreads, Worries About Teen Addiction Grow

Wine & Spirits Daily Who's Buying Bev Alc Online? AFFILIATE News Massachusetts Package Stores Association Bay State Cops Push Back on Liquor Stores' Desire to Sell Weed Liquor store owners want to get in on selling legal pot rather than seeing another source of revenue go up in smoke - a combination some in law enforcement see as a risky mix of booze and weed. "It absolutely sends the wrong message to be selling marijuana with anything else, especially with how impressionable our young kids are," said Chelsea police Chief Brian Kyes, president of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs Association.

Liquor Store Owners Take Steps Toward Selling Legal Pot Liquor store owners want to get in on the budding legal marijuana business in the Bay State. Since last November's ballot petition made way for the regulation, sale and taxation of recreational marijuana, many have been interested in entering the business. The Massachusetts Package Stores Association board voted last month to support their members' decisions on applying for marijuana licenses that are set to start in July of 2018. However, according to an interview given to the Boston Herald, Frank Anzalotti, executive director of the association, said the organization "will remain neutral on the question."

Montana Tavern Association Bill Would Legalize Blackjack in Montana, Tax Tables Rep. Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, said generating revenue for the state can be as simple as counting to 21, meaning, playing blackjack. House Bill 578 would legalize the card game, for both tabletop and video play. The bill also allocates a $500 tax on each blackjack table to the state's Department of Justice and a state special revenue account - $100 going to the DOJ, and $400 to the account.

Tavern League of Wisconsin Tavern League Makes Donations The Columbia County Tavern League recently presented $500 to each of the following charities: Sarah Brockley and Julie Briggs, Special Olympics; Clare Pillsbury and Heidi Henkel, Hope House; and Bob and Linda Broeder, KAMO. These donations will also be matched by the Tavern League of Wisconsin. ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE ABL and Intellicheck Mobilisa have joined in a new partnership to address the ongoing issue of underage access to alcohol. Building on ABL's many efforts to support responsible, age- restricted beverage retailing, Intellicheck is offering its Age ID™ solution to improve customer service and ensure compliance with state regulatory laws by instantly authenticating a customer's identity and age via a mobile device or integrated with a point of sale instrument. The ability to spot fake or altered identiication and to positively verify a consumer's age in real time provides ABL members with a valuable solution for keeping alcohol out of underage hands. For more information, please click here. STATE News Alabama: Are Lawmakers Passing Another Tax? It doesn't claim to be a $250 million tax increase, but that's exactly what would happen if the state Legislature passes a proposed bill to privatize the state's ABC stores. Though it may seem like a reasonable, pro-private sector bill that would decrease government bureaucracy and expenses, in reality this bill would hurt small businesses, cost the taxpayers $250 million (or more) a year and worsen the "wild west" situation we already have with private liquor stores.

Arizona: Proposed Arizona Bill Would Ease Access to Coveted Wine and Beer Licenses State lawmakers want to make it easier for small businesses to get a beer and wine in non-traditional places. Right now, there is a strict limit on the number of Series 7 liquor licenses allowed in each county. Currently, Arizona law allows one license for every 10,000 residents in each county. House Bill 2337 would cut that requirement in half, at least for the next five years.

Arkansas: Governor Signs Bill to Expand Grocers' Wine Sales Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law a bill to allow grocery stores to sell wine from any winery. Senate Bill 284 by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, will end a restriction in current law that lets grocery stores in wet counties sell only wines from "small-farm wineries," defined as wineries that produce no more than 250,000 gallons of wine per year. Fees paid by grocery stores for wine permits will go into a fund that would provide grants to help support Arkansas' wine industry.

Colorado: Liquor Stores May Have Opportunity to Add More Locations After the Senate last week killed a measure that would have extended full alcohol sales licenses to Walmart and Target, one of its committee gave its first nod of approval Tuesday to a bill that would allow locally owned liquor stores the same ability to grow their number of locations as a 2016 law gave to major grocery stores. Senate Bill 199 - a bipartisan effort from Republican Sen. Tim Neville of Littleton and Democratic Sen. Andy Kerr of Lakewood - would allow liquor stores that now can operate just one location to get licenses for as many as 19 more over the next 20 years.

Connecticut: Legislative Panel Quietly Kills Malloy Bill to Change Liquor Laws The legislature's General Law Committee quietly killed Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's bill to change 's liquor laws Tuesday. The committee, which technically has until March 14 to approve legislation, decided to end its work early this year. That means the bill that would have allowed liquor, beer, and wine retailers to sell their alcohol below what they paid for it never got called for a vote. Rep. David Baram, D-Bloomfield, who co-chairs the General Law Committee, said Tuesday that they didn't have enough support to pass it.

Florida: State's House Keeps Chipping Away at 'Liquor Wall' A heavily lobbied measure intended to knock down a decades-old on selling liquor in grocery and large retail stores narrowly continued to advance in the House on Tuesday. The Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee voted 7-6 to support an amended proposal (HB 81) that would end a Depression-era law requiring liquor stores and bars to be separated from groceries and other retail goods, an issue commonly referred to as the "liquor wall."

Georgia: Craft Beer, Liquor Bill Clears House Legislation allowing craft beer and liquor manufacturers to sell directly to consumers passed the Georgia House on Monday. The House voted 147-14 to approve Senate Bill 85. The bill must now go back to the Senate after a House committee amended it to include liquor distilleries. The original Senate version focused just on beer brewers. The Senate is expected to go along with the change, meaning SB 85 could be on its way to Gov. Nathan Deal's desk this week.

Illinois: Legislation Would Allow Minors to Drink in Restaurants Quincy restaurant owners are unsure about the ramifications of a bill that would allow older minors to drink in their restaurants. If approved, Illinois House Bill 0494 would permit minors ages 18 to 20 to legally consume alcohol in restaurants when accompanied by their parents or legal guardians. "It's kind of shocking, actually," said Ron Frese, owner of Pops Pizza, 936 Maine. "I'm curious whether it will be up to the restaurant to decide whether or not they will do it. Isn't the restaurant going to be liable for that young kid?"

Kentucky: Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Makes Serving Classes More Consistent The state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control is implementing monthly alcohol serving classes across the state aimed at creating a consistent training schedule as the number of wet counties grows. The Server Training in Alcohol Regulations or STAR classes are for ABC licensees and their employees. Classes are intended for people who serve or sell alcoholic beverages. They'll be held monthly at state park venues. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner Christine Trout said the training is not state mandated.

Maryland: Breweries Watching Bills That Would Increase Maryland's Beer Barrel Limits A "brewhaha" is brewing in Annapolis over brews. Lawmakers in Maryland's Senate and House of Delegates are moving forward in different ways on two bills to let Maryland's Class 5 breweries - such as Flying Dog and Monocacy Brewing Company in Frederick - increase the number of barrels they may pour annually for on-site consumption. One bill is preferred by the Brewers Association of Maryland and its members. The other is preferred by the state's alcohol retail and beer wholesalers associations.

Minnesota: Surdyk's to Lose Liquor License for 30 Days in July The liquor license at Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese Shop will be suspended for 30 days in July, the city of Minneapolis ruled Monday, and the business must pay a $2,000 fine. Owner Jim Surdyk opened for business Sunday, even though the repeal of the state's 159-year-old ban on Sunday liquor sales won't go into effect until July 2. The apparent disregard for the rules drew the ire of Minneapolis licensing manager Grant Wilson, who called Surdyk to tell him to close and then showed up at the liquor store Sunday afternoon, to no effect.

Missouri: Bill in State Legislature to Speed Delivery of New Alcoholic Beverages to Shelves A measure to speed the delivery of new alcoholic beverages to retail shelves is being examined by lawmakers. The agency which handles label inspection of such products, the Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Control (ATC), has been slower to approve distribution than in many other states. Heath Clarkston with Southern Glazers distributors says a lack of funding, and staffing, at the division has led to delays in the process.

Nebraska: Whiteclay Liquor Stores Accused of Illegally Selling Beer to Bootleggers, Among Other Offenses The four beer-only liquor stores in the border village of Whiteclay are facing a new set of allegations, including that they illegally sell beer to bootleggers and sell alcohol after hours. The 22 citations, recently filed by the Nebraska Attorney General's Office, represent a new offensive against the continued sale of beer in the unincorporated village. The equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer a year are sold in Whiteclay, which has been blamed for the multiple alcohol-related woes across the Nebraska-South Dakota state line on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol possession and sales are banned.

New York: Booze in Movie Theaters? Lawmakers Say No Don't crack open a beer in a movie theater just yet. State lawmakers do not appear to be on board with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to allow alcohol sales in movie theaters, which he tucked in to his $152.3 billion state budget proposal in January. Senate Republicans, Assembly Democrats and the Senate's Independent Democratic Committee all rejected Cuomo's booze-in-theaters plan in their individual budget proposals earlier this week.

North Carolina: Bill Would Let Craft Distilleries Sell More Liquor A new bill could impact the amount of distilled spirits you're allowed to buy. Senate Bill 155 would overturn what's known as the one bottle law. Currently, each visitor to a distillery can buy a single bottle, every 12 months. "All of this money is infused back into the community and state," said Don Walton, owner of Walton's Distillery. "For the state to bind us by this one bottle law, it's really tough and would impact the economy." For every bottle sold, the state gets 30 percent of the sale. Currently, customers are referred to a local ABC store if they want to buy more.

Oregon: Hytrols Warehouse Control System Transforms Oregon Liquor Control Commission into Automated Solution Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), the state's sole distributor for distilled spirits, set their sights on obtaining previously inaccessible shipment values in 2016. With the help of Hytrol and the integration partner, OLCC has a system capable of expanding its capacity while maintaining current demands. These efforts were recently highlighted in a case study video released by Hytrol. Barbara Feathers, manager of distribution operations for OLCC said in the video, "We were looking for a system that would give us the ability to palletize orders if needed. We were looking for a system that would create more efficiency, more accuracy and speed."

Oregon: State's Bottle Bill Increases to 10 Cents April 1 The Oregon Liquor Control Commission reminds customers, retailers, and manufacturers that the redemption value for eligible containers covered under Oregon's Bottle Bill will increase from 5 cents to 10 cents beginning April 1. As of April 1, all eligible containers will receive a 10-cent refund regardless of the amount shown on the container. Containers redeemed before April 1 will be refunded at the rate of 5 cents per container.

Pennsylvania: State Selling Rare Whiskeys Via Lottery Rare whiskey seekers now have a shot at four bourbon and rye products through a limited-release lottery that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has opened up through Saturday. The PLCB will sell 258 bottles to lottery winners in four drawings. The lottery program was developed in recent years as a way to more equitably distribute products that are available in limited supplies and often sell out online in a matter of minutes, the PLCB said.

Pennsylvania: Small Beer Distributors Hit Hard by Restrictive Pennsylvania Law Business at Hillcrest Beer Distributing in Lower Burrell took a hit after a law last year imposed tighter delivery restrictions on retail distributors. "Now we're just trying to do our best to sustain a healthy business model," said Aaron Carter, sales manager at the Westmoreland County retail distributor that also has clients in nearby Armstrong and Allegheny counties. The law, called Act 166, restricted where the roughly 1,200 retail beer distributors could deliver, potentially disrupting operations of hundreds of businesses throughout the state.

Utah: .05 Percent Blood-Alcohol Content Threshold Puts Utah on Par with , , Utah lawmakers voted last week to reduce the state's blood-alcohol content threshold for driving under the influence from .08 to .05 percent, making it the strictest in the nation. If signed into law, the .05 percent blood-alcohol limit would take effect Dec. 30, 2018. HB155, sponsored by Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, passed with a 17-12 vote in the Senate on Thursday and previously passed the House, 48-26.

Utah: 2017 Changes to Liquor Laws Join Other Significant State Actions Utah's liquor laws are about to change. State lawmakers passed two major bills last week that require only a signature from Gov. Gary Herbert to become law. The first is a change to distance and barrier requirements for restaurants that serve alcohol. Lawmakers passed HB442, which reduces the distance required between such businesses and churches, schools and parks to 300 feet.

Virginia: 151-Proof Everclear Is Going to Be Legal in Virginia. But Will Bars Use It? Soon Virginia liquor stores will be able to carry 151 proof Everclear - that clear, super-strong liquor with a reputation for leveling even the toughest of drinkers. But will it appear in cocktails at area bars? "You don't really see it used in cocktails often," said Kate Panaleo, a bartender at Bardo in Norfolk. She said she doesn't see that changing, and she would be hesitant to serve it.

Virginia: Legislation to Allow Distillers to Sell Products at In-State Festivals, Events Virginia's more than 40 distilleries will be able to sell bottles of their products at in- state festivals and events focused on spirits starting early this summer. Prior to passage of the identical bills SB 1448 and HB 2029 in the General Assembly's 2017 session, distillers only were permitted to sell their products through state liquor stores and in highly regulated amounts in on-site tasting rooms. Customers also could purchase bottles of distilled spirits at Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control-approved, on-site distillery stores. Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, and Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, sponsored the respective bills. ASSOCIATE MEMBER PROFILE ABL has partnered with Fintech, the leading provider of electronic data and payments solutions to the alcohol industry, to provide a secure, affordable and hassle- free way for ABL members to pay for alcohol deliveries electronically and improve the beverage alcohol purchasing process. Under the program, ABL members are eligible for a discount on Fintech's electronic payment and data solutions systems. For more information, please click here. BUSINESS & LIFESTYLE News Beer Industry Could Lose $2 Billion from Legal Marijuana Beer sales could take a huge hit if more states legalize recreational marijuana. A new report from Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G) predicts that the beer industry could lose more than $2 billion in retail sales due to legal marijuana. The company reported that 27% of beer drinkers said they have already substituted for beer or would make that switch if marijuana was legal in their state. Wine and spirits sales could see a drop in sales.

Beer Giants Have Lost Big by Ignoring Women - Now They're Trying to Win Them Back After decades of commercials aimed at young men starring beer-chugging bros and scantily clad women, beverage industry giants are changing their approach. On Monday, Anheuser- Busch InBev announced that, for the first time ever, it was launching a brand marketed exclusively to women, with a rebrand of its Lime-A-Rita line. "There are very few [alcohol] brands that connect authentically with women," Selena Kalvaria, the senior director for Lime-A-Rita, told Business Insider. "We wanted this to be a brand not only for women, but by women."

Slovenia Honors Melania Trump with 'First Lady' Wine The First Lady is continuing to put her small hometown on the map. Four Sloveneian winemakers hailing from the wine growing region near Melania Trump's hometown of Sevnica have produced a new red wine-- and they're calling it "First Lady" in honor of the country's most famous former resident. The beverage is pressed from Blaufränkisch grapes, which are native to eastern .

How Alcohol and Caffeine Built Civilization Humans have long been addicted to alcohol and caffeine. But these two drugs - which kill those who overdose - have enabled the birth and flourishing of civilization. Chelsea Follett, managing editor of HumanProgress.org, a project of the CATO Institute, explained exactly how "alcohol and caffeine created civilization" in a recent USA today column. "Nature created both to kill creatures much smaller than us - plants evolved caffeine to poison insect predators, and yeasts produce to destroy competing microbes," she noted.

AB InBev to Bring Beer to Mars AB InBev has announced ambitious plans to bring a "microgravity" beer to Mars, a mission that will likely take decades to accomplish. The "Bud on Mars" initiative was announced during a panel discussion at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival held in Austin, Texas, where AB InBev's vice president of innovation, Valerie Toothman, spoke alongside retired astronaut Clay Anderson. "This takes the Budweiser experience to the future of where colonization and socialization might go," Toothman said.

Ketel One Celebrates the Legacy of "The King" with Launch of "Arnold Palmer Collector's Edition" Bottle Anyone who crossed Arnold Palmer's path was fortunate to meet him - and the Nolet family, creators of Ketel One Vodka, felt very fortunate indeed. Rooted in Mr. Palmer's winning tradition and honoring his unparalleled legacy, the Nolet family has created a limited edition Ketel One Vodka bottle as a thank you to Arnold Palmer for the impact he had on the world and the game many love so much. The Arnold Palmer Collector's Edition bottle reads, "Dear Mr. Palmer, This one's for you."

Yuengling Revamps Beer Labels and Packaging for First Time in 30 Years It's time for a facelift at D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. in Pottsville. Never fear, the recipe for the popular Yuengling and other in the Pennsylvania company's portfolio will not change. However, the , known as America's Oldest Brewery, announced March 15 it is changing its packaging with design updates to its core brands. Wine Historian Says There Are Vintage Stories Behind Wine Labels UC Davis wine historian James Lapsley will use vintage wine labels to share the colorful history of wine at a public event at the California Historical Society in San Francisco on March 15. His talk - illustrated by 20 vintage labels from the collections of the historical society and the UC Davis Library - is featured during the historical society's exhibit Vintage: Wine, Beer, and Spirits Labels from the Kemble Collections on Western Printing and Publishing, continuing through April 16. DISTRIBUTION News Delaware: Founders Brewing Co. Expands Distribution to Delaware

Illinois: One Tree Hard Expands Distribution to Illinois

New England: Stony Creek Brewery Expands Distribution Throughout New England