Craft distilled spirits manufacturers: licenses and fees.

Existing law provides that all money collected as fees pursuant to the act as payments under these provisions are deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. Existing law provides that a violation of the act or a regulation adopted pursuant to the act is a crime.

This bill would specify an application fee that is the same as the application fee for a duplicate winegrower license, $440, and an annual fee of $755, for a duplicate craft distilled spirits manufacturer license.

Under existing law, a distilled spirits manufacturer's license or a craft distiller's license authorizes the licensee to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on or off the licensee's premises, subject to specified conditions. Existing law authorizes a licensed craft distiller to sell up to a specified volume, in any combination of prepackaged containers, per day, per consumer of distilled spirits manufactured or produced by the licensee at its premises to a consumer.

This bill would additionally condition the conduct of tasting of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on or off the licensee's premises, if the craft distiller purchases and uses common alcohol modifiers to combine with distilled spirits for consumption on its premises upon the distilled spirits being produced by the manufacturer. The bill would prohibit a craft distiller from selling distilled spirits to consumers or engaging in tasting activities at more than one licensed branch office. The bill would include in the definition of "licensed premises" for this purpose, and for purposes of the authorizations described above, any branch offices located away from the licensed craft distiller's place of production and manufacturer for which a duplicate license has been issued by the department. Because the bill would expand the definition of an existing crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would also authorize a licensed craft distiller, in addition to exercising all of the privileges of their license at their licensed premises, to exercise all of the license privileges at or from a branch office located away from the place of production and manufacture other than production and manufacture. The bill would authorize the department to issue to a licensed craft distiller a duplicate of its original license for a location, other than the distilled spirits manufacturing premises, that would permit the maintenance and operation of the branch office declared and designated by the licensed craft distiller at the location for which the duplicate license is issued.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.