Brief Description: Authorizing a caterer's endorsement for licensed microbreweries.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development (originally sponsored by Senators Spanel, Clements, Pflug, Kohl-Welles, Jacobsen, Rasmussen, Poulsen, Regala and Kline).

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development
House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: The Liquor Control Board (LCB) issues licenses to microbreweries which are defined as breweries producing less than 60,000 barrels of beer per year. Many microbreweries also hold either a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license or a beer and/or wine restaurant license. Until recently, the LCB has issued caterer's endorsements to some microbreweries holding one of these licenses. Based upon concerns with the tied house laws, the LCB is no longer issuing caterer's endorsements to microbreweries and, in some cases, has revoked those endorsements previously issued.

Summary: It is clarified that a microbrewery holding a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license or a beer and/or wine restaurant license is also eligible to hold all other privileges and endorsements, including a caterer's endorsement, that are permitted to those licensees.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      94   0   (House amended)
Senate      45   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007
         June 30, 2008 (Section 2)