Senate Bill 155 is in the hands of lawmakers in the N.C. House.
The bill, omnibus legislation loosening rules on North Carolina distillers and brewers, on Monday afternoon cleared the House Finance Committee.
The committee addressed two fees in the bill, gave the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission 120 days rather than 60 to write rules on “crowlers,” and rejected an amendment concerning how brewers report sales.
The bill allows out-of-state sales online, subject to laws in the other jurisdictions, and the sale of antique or rare spirits in special auction, after auctioneers obtain a $750 permit.
The measure provides a means to obtain a special event permit, which would cost $200 and allow distillers to offer tastings of their products — 0.25 ounce per product not to exceed an ounce — during events and gatherings such as trade shows and festivals, contingent on local approval.
Thursday, the House ABC Committee approved a Proposed Committee Substitute, which combined the Senate bill with an earlier measure from the House specific to breweries and wineries. The Finance committee made a similar move Monday.
S.B. 155, which cleared the Senate on June 1, allows restaurants to begin selling alcohol Sunday at 10 a.m., as opposed to noon, which is the current law. North Carolina is one of a handful of states that restricts liquor sales on Sunday mornings.
A provision allowing grocery stores to begin selling beer and wine at 10 a.m. had been removed from the bill, but lawmakers Thursday approved an amendment returning it.
Maybe most important for North Carolina craft distillers, S.B. 155 would allow distilleries to sell five bottles of spirits per customer per year; the current law allows people to buy one bottle every 365 days.
Lawmakers removed a provision from S.B. 155 that limited the number of distillers who could take part in a particular event.
For brewers, the measure allows the sale of “crowlers,” cans of beer sealed on site. The earlier version of the bill gave the state ABC board 60 days to complete rules governing sale of crowlers. Monday, the committee pushed that back to 120 days.
Senate Bill 155 eases the rules for home brewers and vintners, who can share but not sell their products at organized events, such as competitions. The bill also gives beer taprooms the option to sell liquor and mixed drinks, with the required and relevant permits, and would allow farm brewers in dry counties to sell their beer; again, pending local approval of the city or county jurisdiction.
Before Prohibition, by some accounts North Carolina had as many as 500 distilleries. The first distillery since Prohibition in North Carolina opened in 2005. Today, nearly 40 distilleries are producing and selling liquor in ABC stores.
If the amended bill passes the House, it will return to the Senate for what could be a final vote.