‘Stillpubs’ — brewpubs for liquor — could be coming to Illinois as craft distiller licensing bill clears state House

BY.

Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

Like brewpubs? Get ready for stillpubs.

Legislation approved Thursday by the Illinois House would license craft distillers similar to the way craft brewers are regulated, with the aim of giving a boost to the burgeoning community of artisan spirits makers in the state.

The bill, which still faces a vote in the Senate, would create a license that allows small distillers to self-distribute some product, removing a major hurdle for unknown brands trying get on store shelves, and another license that allows distillers to open up to three satellite locations where they can serve their house-made spirits as well as other alcohol in a pub environment.

The changes would allow craft distillers to build brand awareness and new revenue streams, helping them grow and encouraging new distillers to set up shop in the state, said Noelle DiPrizio, who co-owns Chicago Distilling in Logan Square.

“Based on our surrounding states it would make us one of the more favorable states to start a business,” said DiPrizio, president of the Illinois Craft Distillers Association, which pushed for the bill.

There are 34 businesses federally licensed as craft distillers in Illinois, up from 2 in 2010, DiPrizio said. If the bill becomes law, that number “could double very quickly,” she said.

For her business, the new rules could mean drawing customers with what she calls a “still pub” in hipster Logan Square while moving production to a less pricey neighborhood. While Chicago Distilling has a tasting room that serves cocktails made with its vodka, gin and whiskeys, it can’t serve booze it doesn’t make.

“Often I’m turning away private events because I can’t also provide them with wine and beer as an option,” DiPrizio said.

Nick Nagele, co-founder of Whiskey Acres in DeKalb, said the ability for some distillers to sell their products directly to retailers will also be a game-changer. Some distillers are located in parts of southern Illinois that aren’t serviced by distributors, and others are so small that they need to establish some accounts before a distributor will take them on, he said.

But, he added, “this legislation is not a way for us to get away from the three-tier system” in Illinois that requires manufacturers to sell to wholesalers that in turn sell to retailers. “We do not want to become a delivery organization.”

The Wine and Spirits Distributors of Illinois initially opposed portions of the bill but after a series of negotiations got on board.

“WSDI appreciates the discussions we have been engaged in with the craft distillers guild and believe that the bill as passed out of the house today represents an agreement that fairly established a long term plan for craft distillers in Illinois,” said Executive Director Karin Lijana Matura.

The bill passed the house 108-2.

Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, co-chief sponsor of the bill, said the legislation creates parity with the booming craft beer industry by creating a two-tier licensing system.

A Class 1 license permits a distiller that produces no more than 50,000 gallons per year to self-distribute or sell directly to consumers from their tasting room up to 5,000 gallons of spirits made on site. They can also purchase vermouth from a licensed distributor for use in cocktails at their tasting rooms.

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Duopoly or pro-business? Shots taken in liquor distribution fight

By. Tress Savage

The difference between “shall” and “may” in one portion of Oklahoma’s new alcohol laws has left liquor stores, a locally owned wholesaler and some legislators pushing to break up what they call a duopoly in the liquor distribution market.

Thanks to a few lines of amendment within voter-approved SQ 792, the nation’s top brands of liquor now distribute their products in Oklahoma exclusively through either Central Liquor Company or Jarboe Sales Co., two longtime Oklahoma businesses that struck deals with national distributors: Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) and Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, respectively.

The change dramatically hurt the business of Tulsa-based Boardwalk Distribution and other now-defunct wholesalers, and the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma says the effect on liquor stores has been equally problematic.

“These people who have exclusive rights to these spirits and these wines have continued to slowly decrease service and slowly increase price,” said RLAO President Bryan Kerr, owner of Moore Liquor. “The sharpest part of that knife pokes at the rural areas where they have really seen severely reduced service and availability of product since the passage of the law.”

To address similar concerns from other liquor stores and Boardwalk Distribution, Rep. Chris Kannady (R-OKC) dropped language into SB 608 on April 2 that would define “top brand” as one of the 25 most-sold spirits and wines over a 12-month period. The bill would require manufacturers to sell those top brands to any wholesaler wanting to purchase and distribute them.

Kannady joined Kerr in saying reduced wholesaler competition has allowed RNDC and Southern Glazer to reduce delivery frequencies and quantities while increasing bottle-handling fees.

“I have not had a single liquor store say they are against it,” Kannady said of his language in SB 608. “Restaurants have the same problem. You’ll have restaurants in downtown Oklahoma City who run out of product because they’re not getting deliveries. So if that’s happening in Oklahoma City, imagine what’s happening in rural Oklahoma.”Continue Reading

Official 'Game of Thrones' wine collection just in time for Season 8!

Celebrated winemaker Bob Cabral said that if he ever crafts another "Game of Thrones" wine, he would aim for one that would represent the entirety of Westeros.

As Tyrion Lannister matter-of-factly tells Jon Snow, “Everything is better with wine in the belly.” And as it turns out, the folks behind HBO's “Game of Thrones” believe that principle extends to the show itself, too.

Thanks to acclaimed winemaker Bob Cabral, fans can now enjoy sipping official wines that embody the spirit of the series and its characters, imbibing fine wines just as their favorite characters often do on-screen. 

HBO first teamed up with Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) and Cabral in 2017 to create a set of wines for its blockbuster show. That selection included a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a red blend and later a Pinot Noir, which was added to the collection in 2018.

“Vintage Wine Estates & I presented a couple of initial wine blends to HBO to facilitate the discussions of collaborating on this project,” Cabral tells Fox News. “Once they met us all face-to-face and we tasted the blends, the deal was pretty much set. HBO and the winemakers at VWE, that I work directly with, have been a dream to work with.”

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Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), through its pH Experiment business unit, has announced the launch of a new line of low-alcohol, low-calorie seltzers.

Called Pacer Low Proof Seltzer, the range will be available in the US as of July in three flavours: blood orange, meyer lemon and lavender, and melon and mint. With an ABV of 2%, each beverage is gluten-free and contains fewer than 50 calories.

The beverages are the latest innovation to come from CBA’s pH Experiment, which was launched last year and is focused on creating, incubating and accelerating new products that put drinkers’ needs first.

pH Experiment general manager Karmen Olson said: “We already knew moderation was becoming more important to drinkers. What we understood more fully after last year’s research was that moderation means different things to different people in different occasions.

“We heard from many drinkers who said they wanted something that would help them pace themselves to stay in control. With seltzers growing triple digits but available only in non-alcohol or 5% ABV, we saw an opportunity to create a low-proof offering that would allow drinkers to moderate at their own pace.”

Pacer will be available in two pack sizes: a variety 12-pack and a blood orange six-pack.

Last month, pH Experiment released Pre Aperitivo Spritz, which is described as “a distinctively dry botanical bubbly inspired by the classic Italian cocktail”.

Post-Workout Beer Is Now Officially a Thing

By. Phil Galewitz

MARATHON BREWING JOINS A GROWING NUMBER OF BREWERIES MAKING LOWER CARB BEER TO DRINK WHEN YOU’VE RUN ON EMPTY.

photo courtesy Jamie Taylor

When I received my first bottle of 26.2 Brew last month from Marathon Brewing Co., a subsidiary of Boston Beer Co. (owner of 2019 NY International Beer Competition double gold medal winner Samuel Adams), I knew I couldn’t just pull it out of the refrigerator, plop on the couch next to my pups and enjoy like any other beer.

I had to earn it.

This isn’t just any beer: it’s beer inspired by the Boston Marathon and geared to help runners and others who deserve a drinkable beer for their hard exercise. Some runners might even call it a “recovery beer”—not to recover from a night out partying on the town, but from an hour or two or exercise.

As such, I went out for a run around the spacious Washington D.C. National Mall (think Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument) near where I work. While 26.2 Brew is named after the official marathon distance, I opted for a 5-mile run that late winter day. It was a good brisk workout in near 50 degree temperature that still had me sweating when completed.

Rather than just reaching for the water cooler when I got back to my office or a bottle of Gatorade, I poured some 26.2 Brew into a glass. The golden hazy ale has just 9 grams of carbohydrates and only 120 calories so it’s a light beer for sure. But its no Miller or Bud Light. Made with Himalayan sea salt and coriander, the beer had some subtle flavors to match.

I’m not saying you could drink 26.2 Brew like water, but it did go down easy and was light enough to easily quench my thirst and then some. I could easily finish a bottle or two as just reward for sweat-filled workout, but without feeling guilty that I was gaining back all the calories I had just burned off.

The 26.2 Brew was released to store shelves nationally the first week in March, and is a new take on a Boston Beer (Sam Adams) ale brewed just for finishers of the Boston Marathon since 2012 and a select few other marathons.  After all, we’re in running season now in the US, and runners can expect to see many local races of all distances in the months ahead.

FEWER CARBS AND CALORIES SHOULDN’T SACRIFICE FLAVOR AND SATISFACTION

Jamie Dowd, Carrie Browne, Jamie Taylor and Beth Mourelatos with 26.2 Brew after running in the Marathon of the Treasure Coast in Stuart, Fl., photo courtesy Jamie Taylor

 The beer was developed by Shelley Smith, a brewer from Boston Beer, marathon runner and triathlon finisher, to provide “purpose and balance for drinkers seeking more.” She says, “As someone who loves beer and running, having the opportunity to brew a beer that helps runners celebrate their hard work was a passion project for me.” Smith is also an advanced Cicerone and manager of research and product Innovation at Boston Beer. "Understanding what is important to runners is what made brewing this beer different from what is currently available. While most brewers are stripping flavor to hit a certain calorie mark, we focused on brewing a beer that not only fits what runners were looking for, but also delivered a great taste." As she developed the recipe, Smith invited other runners—including her brewery teammates as well as Boston Marathon champions Meb Keflezighi and Desiree Linden—to gain insight into what drinkers and athletes want in a beer.Continue below

How to Run a Successful Bar

Whether you manage a pub or nightclub, the challenges of running a successful bar go far beyond just keeping customers' glasses full. You need to ensure that you're well stocked, serving tasty drinks, creating events to excite potential customers, and protecting yourself from any potential liabilities. While managing a bar may be difficult, we broke it down into 8 simple steps to help you make a profit from your bar business. 

8 Steps to Run a Bar Successfully

Whether you own a bar and want to improve your profits or you're considering starting a new business, following these 8 steps to learn how to run a bar.

1. Keep Your Bar Stocked

Keeping your bar stocked goes far beyond just filling your back bar cooler or refrigerator with beer, liquor, and wine. You will want to track what drinks your customers are drinking and which types of alcohol you're using more often than others. This will allow you to adjust your orders, so you spend less money on alcohol that's less popular while keeping your bar filled with the popular items.

Essential Items Every Bar Needs

Stocking your bar or nightclub is also more than just the liquor and beer itself. Here's a list of things that you should always have on hand in your bar: 

• Bar napkins
• Straws and stirrers
• Glassware
• Mixing glasses
• Cocktail shakers and strainers
• Liquor pourers
• Cocktail mixes
• Garnishes

2. Measure Your Liquor to Reduce Overpouring

While an extra-strong drink may not seem like an issue, consistently overpouring drinks can end up costing your bar hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run. 

Fortunately, there are ways that you can measure your pouring and prevent waste in your bar. Here are a few examples of how your bar can prevent overpouring and waste:

• Use measured pourers. Measured liquor pourers make it easy to approximate portions and help prevent spillage to eliminate the risk of wasted product.
• Teach bartenders to use jiggers when crafting cocktails.Using jiggers when crafting cocktails not only prevents overpouring, it also ensures that your customers get a consistent drink each time. 
• Choose the right glassware. Using the right glassware can also help reduce your liquor costs. Heavy-base glasses have a thicker bottom, so you don't have to use as much liquid to fill them as standard glassware, which will result in savings over time.

These bar managing tips can not only help you reduce waste in your bar, but they can also ensure consistency, which is key for keeping your customers happy and coming back to your bar.To read the complete article click the link below

7 states that have strict laws about how and when you can drink alcohol

By. Ann Schmidt

To read the full article, click the link below

• The United States has a long history of regulating alcohol consumption, from Prohibition in the early 20thcentury, to the Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.
• The Drinking Age Act essentially required all states to mandate a 21-year-old drinking age or lose federal funding for state highways and by 1988, all 50 states complied.
• Despite the mandatory minimum drinking age, states still have their own interesting laws about alcohol and some states are actually strict about it.

The United States has a long history of regulating alcohol consumption. 

In 1919, the ratification of the 18th Constitutional Amendment banned alcohol across the country. It wasn't until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed by the ratification of the 21 st Amendment. 

Before 1984, each state could set its own minimum age requirement for drinking. But then Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which said states had to comply with a minimum drinking age of 21. States were compelled to comply, as the federal government would withhold federal funding for state highways if they did not. By 1988, all 50 states had complied. 

Despite the uniform drinking age across the country, each state still has its own unique liquor laws, including where you can buy alcohol and what times you're allowed to buy it. Many states have time restrictions on Sundays and restrictions on obtaining alcohol licenses. 

Scroll down to find out which states have some strict liquor laws. 

New Jersey only allows two liquor licenses per chain store.

Attaining a license to sell alcohol in New Jersey is no easy feat.

 Shutterstock

Chain stores in New Jersey can only obtain two liquor licenses throughout the whole state, so even though beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores in New Jersey, it's not as common because of the license limit. 

The number of liquor licenses is also limited by population, so a municipality can give out one consumption license (for restaurants and bars) for every 3,000 people and one distribution license (for liquor stores and other off-premises stores) for every 7,500 people. 

This law makes it so attaining a license in New Jersey is incredibly expensive; One license even reportedly sold for $1.6 million.