State Rep. Brian Blake, of the 19th District, has sponsored a bill that would simplify state law surrounding liquor distilleries.
Current state law mandates that the Liquor and Cannabis Board issue licenses to distillers on two tiers. The first license is for larger distilleries and costs $2,000, while a craft distillery fee is $100.
To qualify as a craft distillery, the distillery can produce no more than 150,000 gallons of liquor each year and must use locally-grown products for at least half of their raw materials used in production.
All liquor distilleries that sell their products for retail use must pay an annual license issuance fee equivalent to 17 percent of all spirit sales revenue, except for craft distilleries that engage in retail sales for off-premise consumption.
House Bill 2099, proposed by Blake, would eliminate the distinctions between distilleries and create a revised licensing scheme.
It would cut references to craft distilleries, replacing it with only distilleries and exempt all distillers that sell liquor for off-premise consumption from the 17 percent fee.
It would additionally set the licensing fee for all distillers at $250.
