In the twenty-first century, there is an app for everything. Looking to buy more alcohol but do not feel safe driving to your local liquor store to replenish your alcohol supply? No need to worry because there is an app that will deliver alcohol straight to your doorstep. In 2012, three Boston College graduates…

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping for craft breweries has rightly become a hot issue and is gaining momentum. With the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out two of craft beer’s main sources of income, taproom sales and keg beer sales for restaurants and bars, the only main income stream that breweries had during the pandemic was DTC sales. They…

In craft beer law, one of the most aggravating and seemingly unstoppable issues we see is Big Manufacturers’ constant efforts to undermine, diminish, and erode tied-house laws through the legislative process. Here we go again.

California Assembly Bill AB-1070 (Irwin), introduced on February 18, 2021, is shining example of the shenanigans that deep pockets empower…

While the First-Amendment gets a lot of the constitutional attention in craft beer law in terms of advertising restrictions, another constitutional issue has been stealing some of that focus recently.  More specifically, the Dormant Commerce Clause has been the subject of several high-profile litigation matters across the country. To be transparent, the Dormant Commerce Clause…

For reasons I will never quite understand, breweries are often treated differently than wineries in California’s alcohol statutes and regulations (ok, I do understand, it is the powerful wine lobby).  When I tell friends and colleagues that beer law has lots of constitutional nooks and crannies, I often wonder if they believe me.  Here’s some…

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (known as the TTB) is the federal agency charged with enforcing the Federal Alcohol Administration Act and enacting regulations governing the alcoholic beverage industry.  This includes everything from the federal tied-house restrictions (27 U.S.C. § 205(b)) to the propriety of the labels you see on your craft…

This is important, and time is running out.  Craft breweries are getting crushed during the pandemic.  Many are hanging on by a government PPP string.  The Denver Post recently reported that at least 170 independent craft breweries closed during the first half of 2020.  The number is likely to be much larger at present.  Most…