ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- MANUFACTURING AND WHOLESALE LICENSES, the official text

S2415 2026 -- S 2415 ======== LC004563 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- MANUFACTURING AND WHOLESALE LICENSES Introduced By: Senators Felag, Raptakis, LaMountain, DiPalma, and Ciccone Date Introduced: January 30, 2026 Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 3-6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-6 entitled Manufacturing 2 and Wholesale Licenses is hereby amended to read as follows: 3 3-6-1. Manufacturer’s license. 4 (a) A manufacturer’s license authorizes the holder to establish and operate a brewery, 5 distillery, or winery at the place described in the license for the manufacture of beverages within 6 this state. The license does not authorize more than one of the activities of operator of a brewery or 7 distillery or winery and a separate license shall be required for each plant. 8 (b) The license also authorizes the sale at wholesale, at the licensed place by the 9 manufacturer of the product of the licensed plant, to another license holder and the transportation 10 and delivery from the place of sale to a licensed place or to a common carrier for that delivery. The 11 license does authorize the sale of beverages for consumption on premises where sold; provided that 12 the manufacturer does not sell an amount in excess of forty-eight ounces (48 oz.) of malt beverage 13 or four and one-half ounces (4.5 oz.) of distilled spirits, or fifteen ounces (15 oz.) of wine per 14 visitor, per day, or a combination not greater than three (3) drinks where a drink is defined as up to 15 sixteen ounces (16 oz.) of beer or one and one-half ounces (1.5 oz.) of spirits, or five ounces (5 oz.) 16 of wine of spirits , for consumption on the premises. The license also authorizes the sale of 17 beverages produced on the premises in an amount not in excess of forty-eight (48) twelve-ounce 18 (12 oz.) bottles or cans or forty-eight (48) sixteen-ounce (16 oz.) bottles or cans of malt beverages, 1 or one one-sixth (1/6) barrel keg of malt beverage, or one thousand five hundred milliliters (1,500 2 ml) of distilled spirits per visitor, or three (3) seven hundred fifty milliliter (750 ml) bottles of wine 3 or the equivalent amount of wine sold by the can or other container, per day, to be sold in containers 4 that may hold no more than seventy-two ounces (72 oz.) each. These beverages may be sold to the 5 consumers for off-premises consumption, and shall be sold pursuant to the laws governing retail 6 Class A establishments. The containers for the sale of beverages for off-premises consumption shall 7 be sealed. The license does not authorize the sale of beverages in this state for delivery outside this 8 state in violation of the law of the place of delivery. The license holder may provide to visitors, in 9 conjunction with a tour or tasting, samples, clearly marked as samples, not to exceed three hundred 10 seventy-five milliliters (375 ml) per visitor for distilled spirits and seventy-two ounces (72 oz.) per 11 visitor for malt beverages at the licensed plant by the manufacturer of the product of the licensed 12 plant to visitors for off-premises consumption. The license does not authorize providing samples 13 to a visitor of any alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption that are not manufactured at 14 the licensed plant. All manufacturer licenses conducting retail sales or providing samples shall be 15 subject to compliance with alcohol server training and liquor liability insurance requirements set 16 forth in §§ 3-7-6.1 and 3-7-29 and the regulations promulgated thereunder. 17 (c) The annual fee for the license is three thousand dollars ($3,000) for a distillery 18 producing more than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year and five hundred dollars ($500) 19 for a distillery producing less than or equal to fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year; five 20 hundred dollars ($500) for a brewery; and one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for a winery 21 producing more than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year and five hundred dollars ($500) 22 per year for a winery producing less than fifty thousand gallons (50,000 gal.) per year. All those 23 fees are prorated to the year ending December 1 in every calendar year and shall be paid to the 24 general treasurer for the use of the state. 25 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC004563 ======== LC004563 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- MANUFACTURING AND WHOLESALE LICENSES *** 1 This act would allow for the holder of a manufacturer’s license to be able to sell one one- 2 sixth (1/6) barrel keg of malt beverage, produced on the premises, per day. 3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC004563 ======== LC004563 - Page 3 of 3