Friday May 12, 2023 was a big day here at the office. Thanks to the efforts of City Brewing and Wisconsin Brewing Company, the Department of Revenue issued a declaratory ruling that approved contract production (through Alternating Proprietorships, or straight contract) between distilleries (and by extension and our reading of the statute, wineries too). This … Read more
This post is about Chapter 4 of the Distilled Spirits Beverage Alcohol Manual (“BAM“). The BAM is the classification guide the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB“) will use to classify a distilled spirits product into a category (whisky, gin, vodka etc.) depending on its formula. This post is pretty short, but pretty nerdy. … Read more
One of the most critical steps in applying for your Brewers Notice with the TTB is putting together a diagram that shows your brewing operation and will be (happily) accepted by the TTB Agent assigned to review of your materials. Following, is a short list of the critical elements you need to include in the … Read more
This post is a 30,000 foot view of the process of becoming a brewery and winery in Wisconsin simultaneously. Yes, you read that right, a brewery can also be a winery or vice versa. As small producers seek to differentiate themselves and expand their market presence, clients seeking to become both a brewery and a … Read more
I’ve never had a client say to me, “Oh Collin, we have plenty of time to get our Brewers Notice, no reason to rush!” Ha! Everyone is rushing all the time – they want to start making beer now! So…two quick points to make in this short post: What is the standard time for the … Read more
The history of beer is strewn with styles you’ve never heard of. We all know about pilsners, and IPAs, and stouts, and ambers. But what about wit, a fizzy yellow Dutch beer made with coriander and grains of paradise? Or gruit, a Northern European style brewed with pine, sweet gale, or mugwort? Or T’ej, an … Read more
As many of you know, a significant portion of the work OG+S does is dedicated to the federal and state permitting that is required to open and operate a new brewery, brewpub, winery, or distillery. Inevitably, after the Federal (TTB) and State (DOR) permits are received, many clients ask, “Do I need a license from … Read more
Since I’ve gotten calls on this twice in the past two weeks, maybe it is good public information. No, your Wisconsin Liquor Store/Tavern/Restaurant/Bar cannot direct ship to consumers. It is certainly not legal to direct ship to consumers in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 125 requires “face-to-face” sales and prohibits delivery direct to consumers from any … Read more
We’ve been getting a lot (a lot) of questions about how breweries, wineries, or distilleries can practice and encourage effective “social distancing” with their clientele. So, let’s review for the record: Basic Rule: Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries can sell at their place of manufacture/tasting room for off-premise consumption. In other words, they can all sell … Read more
In our ongoing coverage of the Supreme Court this term (apparently we’ve turned into a news feed), this week the United States Supreme Court weighed in on alcohol beverage distribution issues (Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Assn v. Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission, decided June 26, 2019). Justice Alito wrote the opinion for the majority (7-2), … Read more