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Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2337 on April 18, 2017, making numerous changes to state liquor laws.
Wochit
It will soon get more convenient for customers to belly up to the bar — or the brewery, winery and distillery — in Arizona.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2337 on Tuesday, making numerous changes to state liquor laws. Among them:
- Craft breweries, distilleries and/or farm wineries can share a liquor license. This will allow multiple producers to sell beer or wine inside the same building or share outdoor patio space without needing multiple licenses.
- The state will make more series 7 beer and wine liquor licenses available; these can be used by breweries, bars, wineries and some restaurants to sell beer or wine to go. For example, this will allow more breweries to sell growlers.
- Increased enforcement authority over out-of-state companies selling alcohol to residents of Arizona without an Arizona liquor license.
- Permits a craft distiller to deliver spirits to a licensed premises adjacent to the distiller or to a remote tasting room.
- Allows craft distillers to operate two remote tasting rooms and retail premises. Current law allows one.
- Gives producers access to more festival and special-event licenses each year.
The Arizona House gave final approval to the bill last week. It takes effect later this summer.
Arizona has licensed wineries since 1982, breweries since 1996 and distilleries since 2014. All three industries have exploded in recent years, with some local producers gaining national recognition.
Camila Alarcon, lobbyist for the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, said allowing small breweries, distilleries and wineries to share space and a liquor license would bring new opportunities to customers.
“It’s a great thing,” she said. “It will allow them to have new types of spaces … a communal space for local businesses.”
Alarcon said the intent of the legislation is to modernize state statutes to reflect the needs of the industries and allow them to keep up with trends. Several spaces were created in the past couple of years to allow multiple businesses to share a location, from downtown Phoenix’s DeSoto Central Market to Gilbert’s Barnone at Agritopia. She said this is a common model for wineries in other states and countries.
Rod Keeling, who owns and operates Keeling Shaefer Vineyards outside Willcox, said some parts of the new law could have significant benefits to the liquor industry and consumers.
“The craft distillers wanted to have what I would call a cooperative tasting room,” Keeling said.
It also will apply to wineries and craft brewers. California, Oregon, Washington and New York already allow cooperative tasting rooms. Keeling said it allows small wineries in particular a chance to share the cost of a tasting facility.
“Micro wineries are going to be able to have a sales opportunity, kind of like in France,” he said. “Maybe a bunch of them that are too small or don’t have enough money band together and go rent a space.”
Keeling has a tasting room in a historic building in downtown Willcox. He said adding more cooperative tasting rooms could be a boon for wine-producing areas.
“If you’re interested in industry-building, if you’re interested in growing the Arizona wine industry, these things are more important than they might appear to the average person,” he said. “The public benefits because there will be more variety.”
The Republic’s political team on April 18, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including 2018 candidates, Sen. Jeff Flake’s town hall and how a bill to require child-welfare officials to get warrants fell apart.
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The Republic’s political team on April 11, 2017, talks about “zombie” health care reform in Congress, and the expansion of the school voucher program headed by Gov. Doug Ducey.
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The Republic’s political team on April 4, 2017, talks about the state of the filibuster and the latest on Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s “Show Me the Money” campaign.
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The Republic’s political team on March 28, 2017, talks about funding for teacher raises in the state budget, what comes next after the non-vote on the ‘Obamacare’ repeal bill in Congress and proposed restrictions on citizen initiatives in Arizona.
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The Republic’s political team on March 21, 2017, talks about the possible impact on the president’s blueprint for a budget, and the lack of female representation in Arizona’s legislative leadership.
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The Republic’s political team on March 14, 2017, talks about how much of Arizona’s delegation has been quiet about the “Obamacare” replacement, but even Republicans don’t seem to like it.
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The Republic’s political team on March 8, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including a failed tax-cut bill, a congressman’s tweets and how a former state senator isn’t working at the White House after all.
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The Republic’s political team on March 1, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including the state of Senate Bill 1142 and the rowdy crowds at U.S. Rep. Martha McSally’s Town Hall.
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The Republic’s political team on Feb. 21, 2017, talks about recent political news, including Trump’s Arizona announcement about Intel, McCain and Obamacare, and House Bill 2404 targeting voter initiatives.
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The Republic’s political team on Feb. 6, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including how much debt is too much for the state and which lawmaker wants to be shot.
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The Gaggle: DCS warrants and Flake gets scorched
The Gaggle: Health care in Congress and school voucher expansion
The Gaggle: Is the filibuster busted and will Michele Reagan show us the money?
The Gaggle: Teacher raises, ACA repeal and ballot initiatives
The Gaggle: Federal budget and few women in the Legislature
The Gaggle: Obamacare replacement, George W. in town and TANF benefits
The Gaggle: Tax that did not get cut, tweets from Gosar and a non-job
The Gaggle: SB 1142 is dead and town halls get rowdy
The Gaggle: Bigfooted, McCain and HB 2404
The Gaggle: How much debt is too much?
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