New Maryland Laws Loosen Distribution Rules for Craft Beer and Small Breweries

Several new laws were passed in the recent Maryland legislative session that affect how small brewers may sell their products to consumers in the state.  Generally speaking, sales of alcoholic beverages in the United States are funneled through a “three tier” system:  producers (i.e. brewers, winemakers, and distillers) sell to wholesalers; wholesalers sell to retailers; […]

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Legislation Moving Forward to Remove Liquor License Residency Requirements

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post here about the possibility that counties in Maryland may consider removing the requirement that liquor licenses be held by at least one resident of the county that issues it.  Shortly thereafter, the blog BethesdaNow picked up on the story and interviewed me about whether that might be […]

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County Liquor Board Wants to Nix Residency Requirements for Liquor Licenses

The Baltimore Sun had an interesting story last week about how the liquor board of Harford County, Maryland, wants to eliminate the state requirement that every county liquor license application have on it at least one resident of the county.  As stated in the article, it can often be a challenge for a restaurant to […]

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Does Proposed Acquisition Raise Three-Tier Integration Concerns?

Generally speaking, and with some notable exceptions, the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States are divided among three tiers, with ownership of producers, distributors and retailers required to remain separate.  For example, in Maryland, where my firm has its primary practice, anyone with an ownership interest in an entity with […]

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Liquor Laws Continue to be Big Focus in Montgomery County

In order to compete with its neighbor the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Maryland, continues to strive to make itself a more inviting place for those seeking after-hours entertainment options.  As indicated in my previous post, a sizable portion of these efforts involves reforming the county’s laws regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages.  In case […]

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“Nighttime Economy Task Force” Issues Recommendations

Earlier this year, Montgomery County, Maryland, created a task force of local civic leaders and businesspeople to address issues that could make the county a more inviting place for those seeking lively nightlife offerings.  On October 21, 2013, this “Nighttime Economy Task Force” issued its recommendations, many of which — particularly those changing county liquor […]

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