The proposed bill SB316 introduces a new Educational Tourism Distillery license under Section 28-3A-6.5 of the Code of Alabama 1975, which will be issued by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to qualifying distilleries. To obtain this license, applicants must produce a minimum of 100,000 gallons of liquor annually and ensure that at least 50% of their gross sales come from products manufactured on-site. The bill outlines operational guidelines for licensees, including the ability to sell liquor for on-premises consumption, conduct educational tours, and remit taxes on liquor sales. Additionally, it amends Section 28-3A-21 to establish a license fee and modifies Section 28-6A-2 to permit Educational Tourism Distilleries to purchase table wine from small farm wineries.

Moreover, SB316 revises existing laws related to small farm wineries, allowing them to count table wine produced by another manufacturer towards their production limit and ensuring that catastrophic losses do not disqualify them from their status. The bill also permits small farm wineries to sell and transport their table wine directly to educational tourism distilleries under specific conditions, while prohibiting local governments from imposing additional fees or taxes on these transactions. The legislation includes new record-keeping requirements for licensees and establishes penalties for non-compliance, with the act set to take effect on October 1, 2025. Key deletions from current law include certain provisions related to beer and wine licenses, while new insertion includes a fee structure for the Educational Tourism Distillery license and a new wine wholesaler license fee.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 28-3A-21, 28-3A-6, 28-3A-6, 28-3A-21, 28-3A-21
Engrossed: 28-3A-21, 28-6A-2
Enrolled: 28-3A-21, 28-6A-2