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Craft Distilling Bill One Committee Away From House, Senate Floor

WFSU | By Nick Evans
Published April 14, 2017 at 2:02 PM EDT
Barrel Room at the St. Augustine Distillery
Nick Evans
Barrel Room at the St. Augustine Distillery
Barrel Room at the St. Augustine Distillery
Credit Nick Evans
Barrel Room at the St. Augustine Distillery

A Senate panel has approved a measure allowing craft distillers to sell more spirits directly.  The idea is garnering support from unlikely sources.

While state lawmakers spar over major policy disagreements, a craft distilling measure is one of a handful of narrower issues trudging through the committee process.  Normally an opponent of reducing restrictions on alcohol, Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg) is adding his support the bill.

“I have generally opposed expansion of alcohol,” he explains.  “I have generally opposed erosion of the three tier system, but I understand that some of these distilleries are doing good things in communities such as mine.”

The measure will allow craft distillers to sell six bottles of each of their spirits—the current limit is two.  The bill is now waiting for a hearing at its final committee stop in both chambers.

Copyright 2020 WFSU. To see more, visit WFSU.

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Nick Evans
Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.
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