California SB 1164

[CADG]

The California Artisanal Distillers Guild has introduced legislation to update, clarify and expand our Type 74 Craft Distillers License.  All concerned DSP's in California are urged to join CADG and help in this endeavor for 2018.  This bill was written with Senator Nancy Skinner with Principal Co-Author Senator Jerry Hill.  The application to join is on the CADG website https://www.cadistillers.org/ and we welcome associate membership as well.  This will be a monumental undertaking with strong opposition and we need a united California distilling community.

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1164

Cris

[CADG]

Update:  Governor Brown has signed SB 1164 Skinner to continue assisting the California Distilled Spirits Industry !!!  We asked for a lot in the original bill, and received less than hoped... but, it's the 4th piece of legislation in our 6 year existence... here are a few statistics:

CADG started in 2012 with less than a dozen members.  All votes on CADG legislation Unanimous passed.  Every piece of legislation introduced is passed /signed by the Governor.  Many bills detrimental to our industry are amended.  Relationships with government regulators grows annually... California ABC meets regularly with our board.

First piece of legislation introduced and passed in 2012. Paid for by those first members.  AB 933 Skinner allowed us to have tasting rooms and to charge for those tastings (among other things). 20 Members =/-

Second piece of legislation introduced and passed 2014.  AB 1295 Levine/Gray The Craft Distillers Act.  Starting on 1/1/2015 a Type 74 license came into existence... the tasting rooms expanded into direct to consumer sales, private events and 100,000 gallon limit to a Craft Distiller. 35 members =/-

Third piece of legislation introduced and passed in 2016.  AB 2913.  Lots of clean up language to assist distillers and regulators to have clear guidelines.  50 Members =/-

Fourth AB 1164 Skinner legislation introduced and passed in 2018.  Further clarification to ABC code that gains things like donations to charity back when they were inadvertently left out of AB 1295.  The distilling cap was also raised to account for growth in the industry from 100,000 gallon per year to 150,000.  Still 50 +/- members

If you have read this and are a DSP in California... have you given thought to joining us?  Our state now has at last count 186 DSP's licensed... many more than 6 years ago... all because of the work of the founding members.  We are a non profit organization dedicated to the distilling industry.  No staff, No overhead... 100% of every dollar goes towards fighting for the rights discussed above.  If you have a tasting room, sell bottles are doing public events... you are a direct beneficiary of work done by our members. 

Put in perspective:  you spend more on a month's advertising or that last order of labels than what it costs to join CADG.  We are a statewide organization and run on the power of local membership.  The focus is legislation, regulatory work and expanding the playing field for small distillers.  

WE have ambitious plans and want to keep moving all DSP's in California forward... join.  https://www.cadistillers.org/

 

Cris Steller

Executive Director 

California Artisanal Distillers Guild

President

Amador Distillery / Dry Diggings Distillery