Alcoholic beverages: advertising and brandy tastings.

Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. Under the act, a brandy manufacturer's license authorizes the licensee to conduct tastings of brandy, subject to certain conditions, including a prohibition on giving tastings on the licensee's premises in the form of a cocktail or a mixed drink. This bill would remove that prohibition from the conditions under which a licensee may conduct tastings of brandy. Existing law, known as tied-house restrictions, prohibits various alcoholic beverage licensees, or their officer, director, or agent, from, among other things, paying, crediting, or compensating a retailer or retailers for advertising, display, or distribution service in connection with the advertising and sale of distilled spirits. Existing law generally provides that a violation of the act is a crime. This bill would revise the tied-house restriction described above to apply instead to the advertising and sale of alcoholic beverages. The bill would include out-of-state beer manufacturer certificate holders and their officers, directors, and agents among the individuals who are subject to the revised tied-house restriction. Existing law also prohibits paying money or giving or furnishing anything of value for the privilege of placing or painting a sign or advertisement or window display on or in any premises selling alcoholic beverages at retail. This bill would expand that restriction to include providing credit or rebate for that privilege, which the bill would also expand to include the placing or painting of a floor display on or in those premises. Existing law authorizes any manufacturer, winegrower, manufacturer's agent, rectifier, distiller, bottler, importer, or wholesaler, or any officer, director, or agent of any of those persons to furnish, give, lend, sell, or rent specified types of signs, including signs relating to advertising beer. This bill would require interior signs advertising beer that are customized for the retailer to be sold by the wholesaler at a price not less than current market price. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the 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.