Distilled spirits manufacturers: licenses: tastings.

Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, authorizes a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on the licensed premises, under specified conditions. Existing law generally prohibits a manufacturer, winegrower, manufacturer's agent, California winegrower's agent, rectifier, distiller, bottler, importer, or wholesaler from, among other things, giving or lending any money or other thing of value, directly or indirectly, to any person engaged in operating, owning, or maintaining any off-sale licensed premises. Existing law excepts from this prohibition the listing of names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses, among other things, if specified conditions are met. Existing law provides that a violation of the act is a misdemeanor unless otherwise specified. This bill would revise the conditions upon which a distilled spirits manufacturer may conduct tastings, authorize a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to charge consumers for tastings on its licensed premises, and would impose additional conditions on the provision of tastings by the licensee on the licensed premises. The bill would include in these conditions that tastings of distilled spirits not exceed a specified amount and be limited to 6 tastes to be provided to an individual per day. The bill would also extend the authorization to conduct tastings, as described above, to brandy manufacturers. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.