Bill to overturn state brewery rules is now in Murphy's hands

By: Megan Burrow
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... New Jersey's craft breweries may soon be free of event limits and other restrictions they say have harmed business in the year since the regulations began.
..... The state Assembly unanimously passe a bill Friday [06/30/2023] that would repeal state regulations that kicked in last July. [2022] The state Senate unanimously passed its version of the legislation last week. [06/26/2023] the bill still must be signed by Governor Phil Murphy to become law.
..... The conditions placed on brewery licenses by the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control limited breweries to 25 on-site activities, like trivia and music nights, and 52 private parties annually. Off-premises events, such as town and holiday festivals, were capped at 12 per year.
..... The rules prohibited breweries from working with food vendors or food trucks and placed limits on live or recorded music and the number of televisions that could be on at once.
..... The Brewers Guild of New Jersey urged Murphy to take quick action on the bill. The license conditions automatically renewed at the start of this month. [07/2023]
..... "With this bill passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature, we are tremendously grateful to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for demonstrating their overwhelming support for New Jersey craft breweries," Eric Orlando, executive director of the guild, said in a statement. "This long-awaited legislation removes the onerous restrictions suffocating the craft bee industry since last July. [2022] It's a win fro the economy, consumers, and our communities.
..... After the bill passed Friday [06/30/2023] the director of the ABC announced that brewery licenses would be renewed with the existing conditions in place, but because of the pending legislation, the division would not enforce the limits on brewery events and activities for the rest of the year. [2023]
..... Under the bill, craft breweries could invite food vendors or trucks on-site, allow delivery from restaurants to their taprooms and hold an unlimited number of events.
..... Brewery owners said they're looking forward to hosting more events with music or art shows and having food options for customs.
..... "This is a game changer for breweries in the state. It's been a long time coming," said Steve Bauer, an owner of Ghost Hawk Brewing in Clifton. "We really were held back. They don't allow us to coordinate with food trucks. If people are drinking, the should have some food available."
..... Although the license conditions began last summer, [2022] breweries have been engaged in a yearlong struggle with the sate agency that regulates their business since 2018, when the ABC first announced the special ruling to place limits on holding events and offering food. The restrictions were later clarified, and their implementation was put on hold until last year. [2022]
..... The ABC has defended the limits as a way of balancing the int4e4rests of brewers with those of restaurant and bar owners, who must buy high-priced liquor licenses to operate.
..... Some restaurant industry groups have argued that allowing brewers to offer food or host events would harm their business.
..... But brewery owners said the two industries are different and can coexist' without limiting what they can do.
..... "People who want to go to a brewery are going to go to a bar will go there. It's a different crowd," Bauer said. "If we could support local food vendors, I think it will be a bump to the economy."
..... Every brewery in the state has lost sales and marketing opportunities over rte past year [2022] because of the restrictions, and several have closed, Orlando said.
..... The breweries have public support on their side, he said, poll showing that 92% of adults in the state support allowing brewers to sell food.
..... When construction began in Carlstadt on Bolero Snort Brewery's taproom in 2017, there were plans for a larger space for events and a special parking spot for a food truck, said Scott Wells, a co-owner of the brewery. Those plans were scaled back when the ruling was announced the next year.
..... The restrictions have hurt business, eh said, and have made it difficult to compete with breweries in neighboring states that aren't similarly limited.
..... "This is a cause for celebration," Wells said. "There's still a lot more work to be done by the state to help support manufacturers, but this is obviously a huge step."

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