The local members of the Wisconsin Craft Beverage Coalition — a nonpartisan, statewide group of beer, craft spirits, and wine makers — are asking state legislators to pass the Alcohol Modernization Act (AB 304) introduced last week in Madison, according to a recent press release.
The Wisconsin Craft Beverage Coalition is comprised of three statewide associations: the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, the Wisconsin Distillers Guild, and the Wisconsin Winery Association. Collectively, it represents over 250 state small businesses, which contribute a combined economic impact of over $2 billion.
The legislation would consolidate nearly 100 years of fragmented state laws into a set of comprehensive, overarching laws to guide the craft beverage industry into the next 100 years and beyond.
Once enacted, AB 304 would:
- Allow Wisconsin breweries, wineries, and distilleries to sell their products alongside other beer, wine, and spirits at their businesses;
- Remove obstacles to the growth of the Wisconsin craft beverage industry;
- Simplify how people can invest in and own Wisconsin breweries, wineries, and distilleries;
- Remove restrictions on the number of production permits and production locations that small business owners can have in Wisconsin;
- Expand retail opportunities for Wisconsin craft beverage producers;
- Authorize breweries, wineries, and distilleries to bring and serve samples of their product at any retail location;
- Fulfill consumer demand for greater experiences from the hospitality industry;
- Create uniform statewide retail sales hours and clarify that production and transport activities are exempt from current hours of operation;
- Add greater clarity and consistency in the regulations of the alcohol industry; and
- Authorize a bottle of wine to be “recorked” or “recapped” so it can be consumed later.
