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Rules for Tasting Rooms in Calif.


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I am a winery that is also a distillery located in California. I have been told that tasting and selling my spirits (various forms of brandy) and wines direct to customers in the same facility is legal as long the spirits are distilled from wine. I believe this to be true because I have observed others doing it. But I have a lot questions:

As a winery, I can sell wine by the glass. As a DSP, can I sell shots?

Can I sell cocktails made with my spirits at a public or private event in my facility?

Can I sell direct to bars and restaurants?

Can I sample my spirits at an off-premise wine tasting event?

Your experience is greatly appreciated.

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As of right now, you can only sell your brandy by the bottle. If you make it into vodka, you can not sell a bottle of your vodka in your tasting room. You can charge for tastes, I forget exactly how many you can pour a person because I don't have a tasting room. I would suggest calling or going on the web site for the CA ABC to make sure you have the correct answers you need. Sounds like all of these rules are about to change for small producers anyhow.

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As a winery, I can sell wine by the glass. As a DSP, can I sell shots?


No. but you can allow guests to taste your spirits. Limited to 6 tasters. each taster is 1/4 ounce



Can I sell cocktails made with my spirits at a public or private event in my facility? No



Can I sell direct to bars and restaurants?


I do not know the answer to this one. Ask CA ABC. Id love to hear the answer when you find out.



Can I sample my spirits at an off-premise wine tasting event?


Yes, but you must the correct license for sampling of spirits. It is different from the one to provide wine samples


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  • 2 weeks later...

Please consider joining in the movement... California Artisanal Distillers Guild has just moved the new bill AB 1295 from the legislature to the Governors desk. This bill is the second piece of legislation to successfully move in California... in just 3 years. We have no paid staff, are all volunteer and work on behalf of the distilling industry in California... all of these new privileges are from the work CADG members perform.

Why not join, and become part of the group? Questions, contact cris.s.cadg@gmail.com

Cris Steller

Executive Director

Dry Diggings Distillery

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Not sure what you want here... The last 3 fire seasons have been very serious up here where I am from. This year even more so. The destruction of life and property are horrific, and my wife is up near Sonora working with the Butte fire. We need rain soon, and for an extended period of time over this upcoming winter.

If you have questions about the CADG, please feel to ask.

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Hey CADG, didn't mean any disrespect there. I really ment that the new legislation is great news, and what I should have said is thank you for all you guys have done for us in CA. I was just making light of another evening with all my belongings still packed while everything around us seams to be on fire. I am on the edge of the Stanislaus river canyon and spent the last week praying they were gonna stop the Butte Fire from entering our drainage. My family is so gratefull to the fire fighters who are working so hard. I helped evacuate three friends who lost there homes on the other side of the river. The Oak fire was in our backyard the week before and thank god the DC-10 was available to lay it down on the ridge behind us and save us. After a 2 year build out of our distillery our well went dry and we had to get 3 easements and install a mile of pipe to connect to the county water supply. I have no less than 100 old growth Ponderosa and Sugar pines that are dead on our property that I will need to start removing when and if the rain comes, all from this drought. I and many i know around me don't know what to do. Is it time to leave the west coast? There is no water. Have you seen the resivoirs? We fear for losing our ag buisnesses and way of life. Breweries, wineries, distilleries, farms, ranches, an insane amount of the countries food supply, is all hanging by a thread and what are we gonna do? Pray for,rain I guess. This is big, I've never seen a more dire situation, myself. Sorry for the rant, and thanks again for the hard work you guys have done. When I recover from that water connection fee, I will happily join the CADG.

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Mr Scrounge,

No worries, my original reply started to be kind of snarky... I took your message wrong, but luckily my new habit of walking away and smelling whatever is coming off the still before hitting send gave me a moment of clarity. We have talked several times, and I remembered where you were and of course changed how I took the message... I knew you would be in the path of it all, it has been a tough fire season. Amador had a fire come right up to the edge of the street last Thursday and Butte burned towards their house... Hope I did not add to your stress, just felt a little helpless to do much... but we always have trucks and trailers to help.

Hoping some rain came last night, we got some down here... no worries on joining... we will be here. Come visit us down here, have a sip or two... change of scenery sometimes helps.

We will keep up the rain dance and cross fingers / toes... c

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