Edible Sacramento Fall 2022

LIQUID ASSETS

The Spirit of the Law Local distillers strive for level playing fields.

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH PENNEY B eer is often associated with festive summer barbe cues and ball games. Wine, with meals, holidays, and celebrations. But spirits, even decades after Prohibi tion ended, may not have such positive associations, according to some local distillers who say a negative public senti ment toward “hard liquor” still exists. Although the craft cocktail scene is strong, it’s been an uphill battle for local craft distillers. Decades-old legislation had made operations nearly impossible in Sacramento, and many in the business say they just wanted to be on the same playing field as craft brewers and winemakers. Still, a handful of craft distilleries have sprung up throughout the Greater Sacramento region in recent years, spurred not only by increased consumer demand, but also by updated legislation that makes it easier for them to operate. PROHIBITION-ERA LAWS First, a little background: California’s Alcoholic Bev erage Control Act governs the production, distribu tion, and sale of alcoholic beverages within the state. The Craft Distillers Act of 2015 created a new license for distillers that produce less than 100,000 gallons of spirits a year (it has since been upped to 150,000). In ad dition, it allows craft distillers to oŽer tastings in the form of mixed cocktails, raises the tasting amount to 1.5 ounces, and permits direct-to-consumer sales of up to 2.25 liters of spirits per customer, per day. Many laws governing the alcoholic beverage industry in the United States were developed after the Prohibition era, yet be cause of the public’s adverse opinions toward liquor, many an ti-vice provisions remained. Though alcohol was technically le gal, there was a desire to restrict its flow and reduce consumption. Many states, including California, implemented a three-tier sys temof alcohol distributors: manufacturer, distributor, and retail er. A business must be licensed only within one tier, and, for the most part, none can have an interest in another.

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