Anyone heard anything locally about this? I haven't.

Trouble Brewing: New Jersey Dems Ban Microbreweries From Hosting Happy Hour, Serving Cocktails (freebeacon.com)

Makes sense, they kinda operate under a different set of rules than everyone else. 

If they want to be a restaurant or bar they should probably be designated as such. Brewing or distilling their product shouldn't change that. 

The ones I've been to, sell their beer only. We order food and have it delivered. 

Typical NJ BS. Lets hurt a small business owner as much as we can because we hate small businesses. That's what I get out of that.

In NY as long as 90% of the ingredients in a alcohol product are from NYS it can be sold at the brewery, distillery, or cider yard. All the local ones in Fulton county sell each others products as well as food from the local farmers.

NY may be trying some stupid crap with firearms but at least they got the craft beverage industry right.

Are they going to match those rules for vineyards too? There are plenty that do the exact same thing…

1 hour ago, brucin said:

Typical NJ BS. Lets hurt a small business owner as much as we can because we hate small businesses. That's what I get out of that.

In NY as long as 90% of the ingredients in a alcohol product are from NYS it can be sold at the brewery, distillery, or cider yard. All the local ones in Fulton county sell each others products as well as food from the local farmers.

NY may be trying some stupid crap with firearms but at least they got the craft beverage industry right.

Most restaurants who serve and bars are small businesses, too. It seems odd to have 2 sets of rules for them. Micro breweries got away with paying severely reduced fees by simply selling only what they make, that would be otherwise available for purchase "to go". It seems they want to be "bars", with out the red tape. 

5 minutes ago, JackDaWack said:

Most restaurants who serve and bars are small businesses, too. It seems odd to have 2 sets of rules for them. Micro breweries got away with paying severely reduced fees by simply selling only what they make, that would be otherwise available for purchase "to go". It seems they want to be "bars", with out the red tape. 

This legislation is 100% driven by the restaurant and bar lobby.  They see microbrews cutting into their turf without the pound of flesh the state requires for a liquor license.  
 

I can somewhat see their point though.  At some point a microbrewery is a restaurant and should get a license.  At the same time, fuck the political and lobbying BS.  These places should be allowed to have seating and team with other restaurants, delivery, etc.  Serving cocktails or another (commercial) beer makes you a bar though.  

If we lived in a free society, there would be no need for regulations on either bars or micro breweries.

The face that all this regulation is "required" is a sad statement on the land of the free.

13 hours ago, voyager9 said:

This legislation is 100% driven by the restaurant and bar lobby.  They see microbrews cutting into their turf without the pound of flesh the state requires for a liquor license.  

This.  I have a friend who started a great microbrewery / pub here in central Jersey.  He and his brother / business partner have been saying this since it came out.  Always follow the money.

On 7/13/2022 at 8:09 PM, voyager9 said:

This legislation is 100% driven by the restaurant and bar lobby.  They see microbrews cutting into their turf without the pound of flesh the state requires for a liquor license.  
 

I can somewhat see their point though.  At some point a microbrewery is a restaurant and should get a license.  At the same time, fuck the political and lobbying BS.  These places should be allowed to have seating and team with other restaurants, delivery, etc.  Serving cocktails or another (commercial) beer makes you a bar though.  

You are correct. This is driven by the Restaurant/bar lobby. I have never seen a craft brewery with a kitchen. There is really no comparison.  

I agree they should not be allowed to prepare food but this tyrannical regulation of not allowing another small business operator (food truck) to set up so both benefit is short sighted and stupid. The first regulation proposed wouldn't let a brewer put out menus' of local restaurants. Explain the logic in that. At least they dropped that one.

I'm surprised they let them put out board games and decks of cards. Cant let people go out and enjoy themselves, this is NJ after all.

Regarding the cost of a liquor license check into how much it costs to set up a brewery. A liquor license will usually increase in value. not so much for brewery equipment.