Connecticut Craft Beer Bill Advances

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Under Senate consideration, House Bill 5928 establishes a farm brewery manufacturer permit, which allows for, among other things, the manufacture, storage, bottling, and wholesale distribution and sale of beer manufactured at any place or premises located on a farm. A permittee may produce up to 75,000 gallons of beer annually. Under the bill, a farm brewery permit allows for the offering and tasting of free samples and retail sales for both on- and off-premises consumption, though a town may prohibit the activity by ordinance or zoning regulation. Such permittees may also sell their beer at farmers’ markets if they also obtain the farmers’ market beer sales permit. The bill requires permittees to use a certain amount of hops, barley, or other fermentables grown or malted in the state. After fulfilling these requirements, permittees may then advertise and sell their product as “Connecticut Craft Beer.” The bill also increases, from five to seven liters, the amount a farmers’ market beer sales permittee may sell to a person per day at a farmers’ market.

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