(IMBIBE+BLOG)

At Strike & Techel, we don’t just write legal briefs. Check out our blog about the ins and outs of alcohol beverage law.

Imbiblog is published for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

Category archives for “Tastings”

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Releases New Advisory in Connection with Authentic Beverages Company Decision

March 1st, 2012

As readers of this blog may recall, at the end of 2011 interesting new precedent came out of Texas when the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas granted partial summary judgment for plaintiffs in Authentic Beverages Co., Inc. v. Tex. Alcoholic Beverage Comm’n, No. A-10-CA-710-SS (D. W.D. Tex., December 19, 2011), and consequently struck down some Texas’ laws regarding beer labeling, advertising alcoholic content and suppliers telling consumers where their products can be found for purchase. (See our prior coverage of the case here.) About a month later the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (“TABC”) issued Marketing Practices Bulletin 49 regarding the case (available here) and today they’ve just released Marketing Practices Bulletin 50 (available here). The new bulletin stresses that Texas’ stance on suppliers pre-arranging and pre-announcing promotional activities has not changed.

Texas allows liquor manufacturers and wholesalers to pre-arrange and pre-announce promotional activities, for example bar spending or sampling events, novelty item giveaways, and promotional appearances, but they do not allow beer manufacturers and distributors to do the same. While the Authentic Beverages decision resulted in the allowance for beer manufacturers and distributors to advertise retail locations where their products can be purchased (provided the advertising is not cooperative), it has not changed anything regarding pre-arrangement and pre-announcement of promotions. Those promotional activities by beer suppliers must be spontaneous, meaning they are not pre-arranged with retailers or pre-announced to consumers. The TABC is still in the process of formal rulemaking to deal with the effects of the Authentic Beverages decision, at which time Marketing Practices Bulletins 49 and 50 will be superseded by the new rules, but we do not expect that their position will change on this matter and violations are likely an enforcement priority for the TABC.

California ABC Stakeholder Meeting

February 8th, 2011

Last week, partners Barry Strike and Kristen Techel attended the California ABC’s annual Stakeholder Meeting in Sacramento. The meeting covered everything from furlough status and budget to planned action items for 2011 and 2012. Stakeholder working groups were established to further investigate and provide recommendations to the new ABC Director, Jacob Appelsmith. The four groups will cover issues related to Third Party Providers, Brands and Trademarks and other Things of Value, Licensing Process and Industry Training, and Public Convenience or Necessity.

Interestingly, during the meeting Matt Botting, General Counsel to the ABC, indicated they had not seen many applications for the new tasting permit for off-sale retailers, which we originally discussed here and here. If you’re interested in learning more about or applying for the new instructional tasting license, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys here at Strike & Techel.

Update on New Sampling Rules at Retail Stores in California

December 7th, 2010

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the new permit available to California off-premise consumption retailers that will allow suppliers to come to their premises and conduct instructional consumer tastings. The ABC just released an industry advisory with additional helpful information. The industry advisory is available here.

California Sampling at Retail Stores

November 22nd, 2010

Effective January 1, 2011, California off-sale retailers will be eligible for a $300 instructional tasting license that will allow wine, beer and spirits suppliers to conduct free consumer tastings on the retail premises.

The instructional tasting license will be available to most off-sale retailers. Off-sale retailers with a gas station are not eligible unless the retail store is over 10,000 sq. ft. Premises under 5,000 sq. ft. are not eligible unless 75% of gross sales on the premises are alcohol. This will tend to exclude convenience stores and small markets but will enable small wine and liquor stores to obtain the license. Permits may also be denied to retailers in “overconcentrated” areas, i.e., locations with more than the statutorily authorized number of ABC licenses.

Retailers obtaining the permit must separate the tasting area with a barrier and post signage prohibiting minors from entering the tasting area. The retailer is responsible for making sure no minors are in the tasting area and no open containers leave the tasting area. Tastings may only be conducted between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., provided the retail license allows sale of alcohol within that time period.

The tastings must be free, and sample size is limited as follows:

	Sample Limitations
Beer	8 oz. per person per day
Wine	3 tastings per person per day, 1 oz. per sample
Spirits	3 tastings per person per day, ¼ oz. per sample

Each tasting event can only involve one class of product and one “authorized licensee” tasting per retailer per day, so a single tasting event may not combine beer and wine tastings or multiple suppliers. “Authorized licensees” who may conduct the tastings are California licensed: winegrowers, winegrower’s agents, beer and wine importer generals, beer and wine wholesalers, wine rectifiers, distilled spirits manufacturers, distilled spirits manufacturer’s agents, distilled spirits importer generals, distilled spirits rectifiers, distilled spirits general rectifiers, rectifiers, out-of-state distilled spirits shipper’s certificate holders, distilled spirits wholesalers, brandy manufacturers, brandy importers, California brandy wholesalers, beer manufacturers, or an out –of-state beer manufacturer certificate holders.

The alcohol tastes are to be served by the “authorized licensee” or her/his agent. The exception is that beer and wine wholesalers, though “authorized licensees”, may not serve tastes unless they hold additional licenses. Wine and spirits for the tasting may be supplied by the “authorized licensee” or bought from the retailer at the original invoiced cost. Beer cannot be provided by an “authorized licensee”, but may be purchased from the retailer at invoice cost. Unused product must be removed at the conclusion of the tasting.

An “authorized licensee” must be present for the tasting, unless the event has been previously advertised and the “authorized licensee” can’t attend. On that note, the “authorized licensee” can advertise the retailer event in advance, subject to restrictions. Retailers are also allowed to advertise the events on their own initiative. Special rules apply if the off-sale retailer already has a Type 42 on-sale license for a tasting bar.

For the complete rules, see Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §23396.6 and §25503.56.

If you would like assistance in applying for the instructional tasting license, please contact licensing paralegal Lindsay McCarthy at lindsay@strikeandtechel.com.