New California Law – Instructional Tasting License – Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 23396.6

On January 1, 2011, California Business & Professions Code Section 23396.6 went into effect providing the ability to obtain an instructional tasting license for the tasting of beer, wine and distilled spirits at off-premise retail licensed locations.  The license permits retailers to allow licensed beer, wine or distilled spirits producers or importers (but not licensees only owning type 17, 20 or 17/20 licenses) to provide free instructional tastings of their products in limited amounts at the retailer’s store in specially-designated areas with some physical separation (e.g., wall, rope, chain, fence) from the remainder of the store.  For the full text of the new law see:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpc&group=23001-24000&file=23355-23405.3

For assistance in obtaining an Instructional Tasting License please contact Mike Mann at [email protected]

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