SB404 Summary

• Permits a beer manufacturer producing no more than 60,000 barrels annually to have a financial interest in a brewpub, including one with a restaurant retail license, provided the manufacturer purchases beverages through authorized wholesalers rather than transferring directly.

• Authorizes brewpubs to manufacture up to 10,000 barrels of beer per year, sell packaged beer for off-premises consumption (limited to 288 ounces per customer per day), and sell to wholesalers in original containers.

• Establishes brewpub license fee at $1,000 annually and requires brewpubs to operate a restaurant or provide food for consumption on premises.

• Shifts beer tax levy timing from point of dispensing to the point when beer is allocated by brewery or brewpub for retail sale purposes for both manufacturers and brewpubs.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.