PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 08-15-068.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: New WAC 314-20-017 Brewery and microbrewery retail liquor licenses -- Selling kegs and containers, 314-20-055 Microbrewery warehouse license, and 314-20-095 What are the requirements for contract production between microbreweries?
Hearing Location(s): Liquor Control Board, Board Room, 3000 Pacific Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA, on December 3, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: December 17, 2008.
Submit Written Comments to: Karen McCall, P.O. Box 43080, Olympia, WA 98504-3080, e-mail rules@liq.wa.gov, fax (360) 704-4921, by December 10, 2008.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Karen McCall by December 10, 2008, (360) 664-1631.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The purpose of this rule making is to implement legislation that passed in the 2008 legislative session (SSB 6572 and SSB 6770) to RCW 66.24.240 and 66.24.244. The legislation allows breweries and microbreweries to hold up to two separately licensed restaurant or tavern locations, allowing a microbrewery to hold an off-site warehouse location, and allowing a microbrewery to contract produce beer for another microbrewery.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: The rules are amended to reflect statute changes during the legislative session.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 66.08.030, 66.24.240, 66.24.244.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 66.24.240, 66.24.244.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Washington state liquor control board, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Karen Rogers, 3000 Pacific Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-1622; Implementation: Alan Rathbun, 3000 Pacific Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-1615; and Enforcement: Pat Parmer, 3000 Pacific Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-1726.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. This proposal imposes only minor impact on businesses in the industry.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328.
October 15, 2008
Lorraine Lee
Chairman
OTS-1947.2
NEW SECTION
WAC 314-20-017
Brewery and microbrewery retail liquor
licenses -- Selling kegs and containers.
A brewery or
microbrewery licensed under RCW 66.24.240 or 66.24.244 may
hold up to two retail liquor licenses to operate a spirits,
beer, and wine restaurant, a tavern, a beer and/or wine
restaurant, or any combination thereof.
(1) Definitions.
(a) For the purposes of this section, a "container" is a sealable receptacle, such as a carton, jug, growler or keg, and has no minimum holding requirement. A "keg" is a container holding four gallons or more.
(b) "Malt liquor" is a specific type of "beer" (as explained in RCW 66.04.010).
(c) "Beer" includes malt liquor and flavored malt beverages (as explained in RCW 66.04.010).
(2) Applicable to retail licenses for spirits, beer, and wine restaurants, beer and/or wine restaurants, and taverns.
(a) A retail license is separate from a brewery or microbrewery license.
(b) All containers of beer must be sold from the retail premises.
(c) A retail location may be located on or off the brewery or microbrewery premises.
(3) A brewery-operated or microbrewery-operated spirits, beer, and wine restaurant may sell containers of beer of its own production without a kegs-to-go endorsement provided that it sells this beer for off-premises consumption only. A brewery or microbrewery may supply the container or use a container brought to the premises by a customer.
(4) A brewery-operated or microbrewery-operated spirits, beer, and wine restaurant may sell kegs of malt liquor of another brewery's or microbrewery's production provided that it:
(a) Sells this malt liquor for off-premises consumption only;
(b) Has a kegs-to-go endorsement; and
(c) Supplies the kegs.
(5) A tavern or beer and/or wine restaurant that is operated by a brewery or microbrewery and has an off-premises beer and wine retailer's privilege may:
(a) Sell kegs of malt liquor for either on-premises or off-premises consumption. The malt liquor may be of the licensee's own production or the production of another brewery or microbrewery; and
(b) Sell containers of beer for either on-premises or off-premises consumption provided that the customer supplies the container. The beer may be of the licensee's own production or the production of another brewery or microbrewery.
[]
(2) A microbrewery warehouse is a premises located off the microbrewery premises that is used for the storage and distribution of the microbrewery's own products.
(3) There may be no retail sales from the microbrewery warehouse.
[]
(1) The contractee is the product owner. As such, the contractee may distribute and retail the product.
(2) The contractor is required to physically transport all contracted product to the contractee. The contractor is not allowed to distribute or retail the product.
(3) The contractor must submit a copy of the contract to the board prior to production. Any changes in the contract must also be submitted to the board prior to subsequent production. The board may require additional information.
(4) The contractor is required to obtain federal label approval, and the contractee is required to obtain state label approval.
(5) State taxes listed under RCW 66.24.290.
(a) The contractor is not responsible for the taxes.
(b) The contractee is responsible for the taxes when the contractee is acting as its own distributor or retailer for the product.
(c) When the contractee uses a distributor to distribute the product, then the distributor is responsible for the taxes.
(6) Maintaining qualification as a microbrewery. Each microbrewery, whether in the capacity of a contractor or contractee, is allowed to produce under sixty thousand barrels of total product per year. Total product, in this instance, includes product (a) owned and produced by the microbrewery; (b) owned by the microbrewery but produced by another microbrewery; and (c) produced by the microbrewery on behalf of another microbrewery.
(7) Reporting and recordkeeping.
(a) The contractor must include the product produced when it reports its monthly production to the board.
(b) The contractee must include the sale of the product when it submits its monthly sales report to the board. The board may also require the contractee to include the product when the contractee reports its monthly production to the board.
(c) The contractor's and the contractee's recordkeeping documents must include the product information for each contract. The information must show the quantities produced.
[]