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June 3 - New York State Liquor Stores Association | 2nd Annual Celebration | Albany, NY
June 7-9 - American Beverage Licensees | 13th Annual Conference | Washington, DC
June 8 - Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association | Annual Golf Outing | Warrensburg, NY
June 10 - National Archives "Spirited Republic" Alcohol Exhibit | Industry Gala | Washington, DC
June 11 - Alaska CHARR | Board Meeting | Anchorage, AK
June 12 - Alaska CHARR | 15th Annual Selman Memorial Golf Tournament |Anchorage, AK
June 14-17 - National Conference of State Liquor Administrators | Annual Conference | San Diego, CA
June 22 - New Jersey Liquor Store Alliance | 5th Annual Golf Classic | Hillsborough, NJ
June 23 - Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers | Annual Golf Outing | Indianapolis, IN
June 27 - Tavern League of Wisconsin | Tailgate Party at Brewers Stadium | Milwaukee, WI
July 26-27 - Texas Package Stores Association | 68th Annual TPSA Convention, Trade Show & Cork Pull | San
Antonio, TX
American Beverage Licensees (ABL) and Fintech announced today that they are launching a strategic partnership to provide a secure, affordable and hassle-free way for ABL members to pay for alcohol deliveries electronically and improve the beverage alcohol purchasing process. Under the program,

ABL members will be eligible for a discount on Fintech's electronic payment and data solutions systems.
American Beverage Licensees (ABL) announced today that Stephanie Hopper, Chief Operating
Officer at Ballpark Holistic Dispensary in Denver, Colorado will speak at the 2015 ABL Annual
Conference on June 8. Ms. Hopper will discuss the recreational cannabis business from a retail perspective and how her store navigates the regulated sales environment in Colorado.
Distillers take a shot at lower liquor taxes
Large and small distillers have united in a push to lower federal excise taxes on distilled spirits, which could increase their profits and make liquor cheaper for consumers.
Bill Would Cut Price Of Hard Liquor
The price of bourbon and other hard liquor could go down sharply under a bill introduced by an
Indiana congressman.
Agency overreach draws fire at Senate hearing
Should the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigate businesses on its own when no complaints have been filed? That was the question at the center of a recent Senate committee hearing, when the EEOC's investigation of alleged age discrimination by Texas Roadhouse was held up as an example of possible overreach by the agency.
Wet or dry? Drinking rates coincide with accessibility
According to data from a study of drinking patterns in counties nationwide in the American Journal of Public Health, the highest levels of drinking occur mostly in Mississippi counties with the easiest access to alcohol.
Craft beverage producers wrestle with federal product definitions, labeling requirements
Imagine spending time and resources to develop a product only to find out that you won't be able to describe it on the label in a way you think best resonates with consumers. That happened recently for Maciej Halaczkiewicz, president of Grand Rapids-based Arktos Meadery LLC, a startup producer of fermented honey-based craft beverages.
MARIJUANA
 How Do Your State's Marijuana Penalties Compare To Louisiana's?
 Bill to legalize marijuana in Maine falters in committee
 Half of Seattle medical dispensaries may be shut down as city combines marijuana markets
 Medical marijuana to battle black market for customers in Illinois
 Mixing Booze and Pot Greatly Increases the Amount of THC in Your Blood
 New Denver hotel allows marijuana use
 What scientists know about marijuana
 Anti-Legalization Group Calls For Medical Marijuana Research Overhaul
 Feds Tell Their Employees To Stay Away From Marijuana, Even In States That Have
Legalized

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 Marijuana Legalization In Oregon 2015: Legal Weed Set To Hit Store Shelves In July, But
Challenges Remain
Bobby Jindal says he'll sign medical marijuana, pot penalties legislation
Oregon cannabis feud pits marijuana growers against hemp farmers
State's medical-marijuana law clears legal hurdle
Philly420: Taking marijuana to Congress
Tavern League of Wisconsin
TLW Newsletter - June 2015
Beer Institute
Beer Institute Releases Domestic Tax Paid Estimate
Beer Institute hires Chief Economist and Federal Affairs Director
Brewers Association
Breaking Down the Brewers Association's Top 50 List
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA)
Iowa ABD's Larson to Chair National Alcohol Control Association
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
TTB NEWSLETTER | Weekly News (May 29)
DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE 2015 ABL ANNUAL
CONFERENCE!
Visit our conference website for registration, session, and speaker information. Featured sessions include an EMV payment update, a grassroots lobbying briefing, and a session on how to manage your Yelp reputation, plus more!
Mobile registration is available here .
Please contact ABL directly with any questions at info@ablusa.org.
Alabama: Cheers: Bill would help Alabama wineries
Alabama has spent the past few legislative sessions trying to update the state's strict liquor laws.
They've done a lot for the beer industry, but for wine? Let's just say "Alabama Wine Country" is not rolling off the tongues of lawmakers.
California: California Rum Fest. to be Hosted at "Mixo Capital" San Francisco, CA
The Rum Lab introduces the inaugural California Rum Festival on September 12th, 2015 at the
Terra Gallery. California is one of the key states in the spirit industry alongside Florida, New York,

Illinois and Texas-specially when it comes to rums. As an international event produced in the tourist mecca destination, known for its sophisticated mixologist scene, the inaugural http://www.CaliforniaRumFest.com
is arguably set to become a leading world-top class event in the West Coast.
California:Grand jury wants more winery audits
Napa County's policy of choosing 20 wineries at random each year to see if they are complying with county rules doesn't go far enough for the grand jury.
Colorado: Beer battle brewing in Colorado
Colorado brewers continued their push against allowing the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores, tapping a special beer brewed in an effort to unite Coloradans against the idea. The Keep
Colorado LocALE was tapped Wednesday at an alehouse in Denver, where brewers and liquor store owners gathered to express concerns with a possible ballot initiative led by larger retailers.
Illinois: Massive growth in Illinois craft beer predicted with new law
Revolution Brewing is one of the nation's fastest-growing breweries, but its blistering growth has knocked it out of compliance with Illinois' liquor law. The problem: Revolution's massive production brewery on Kedzie Avenue, and its brewpub on Milwaukee Avenue, constitute two different types of brewing facilities.
Illinois: Illinois bill expanding in-car blood-alcohol monitoring heads to governor
The Senate passed a bill Tuesday expanding in-car blood-alcohol monitoring devices for people convicted multiple times of driving under the influence. House Bill 3533 would require DUI offenders with at least two convictions to submit to the breath-alcohol interlock ignition device, or BAIID, program for at least five years before their licenses could be reinstated.
Kansas: Senate Approves Tweaks to State Liquor Laws
The Kansas Senate has approved a measure that would allow alcohol at state events at the
Capitol and adjusts a number of liquor permit processes. Rep. Vicki Schmidt, (R-Topeka), said she opposed the bill, which was approved Thursday on a 30-6 vote, because it vaguely defined when alcohol would be permitted in the Capitol.
Ohio: Bill banning pure caffeine, powdered alcohol passes House
A measure barring the sale of pure caffeine products has cleared the Ohio House after representatives moved to also prohibit the sale of powdered or crystalline alcohol. The bill would make it a misdemeanor offense to sell products consisting solely or primarily of caffeine that's manufactured into a crystalline, liquid or powdered form.
Ohio: Agents to parents, high school graduates: Don't offer alcohol to underage party guests
Graduation season is here, and for many parents and graduates, this may also mean graduation parties. Agents with the Ohio Investigative Unit know many parents will refrain from allowing underage party guests from consuming alcohol. However, there are some parents and graduates that will participate in the illegal and dangerous behavior, such as providing alcohol to minors and consuming underage.
Oregon: Moving toward one-stop shopping for medical and recreational marijuana sales

Oregon liquor control officials on Wednesday presented a plan for allowing retailers to sell both medical and recreational marijuana -- and it seemed to win support from key legislators. Under the proposal, medical marijuana growers willing to accept strict regulatory controls would be able to sell to retailers serving both medical and recreational marijuana users.
Maine: Maine officials have until June 2 to provide key financial statement about promarijuana drive
Maine officials have less than a week to provide a financial impact statement that a promarijuana group needs to begin collecting signatures for its petition.
Massachusetts: Proposed Boston 2% liquor tax goes before City Council
Boston residents will get a chance to speak out Wednesday on a proposal to add a 2 percent tax to alcohol purchases. The City Council will hold a hearing on a home rule petition filed by City
Council President Bill Linehan and Councilor Frank Baker to tack on the tax to alcohol sales. The councilors say money generated from their proposal would help finance substance abuse programs, so people battling addiction could receive adequate help.
Mississippi: Clinton considers Sunday alcohol sales
The city of Clinton is considering allowing alcohol by the glass and beer sales on Sunday. The
Clinton Board of Aldermen has set a public hearing for June 16 to hear from citizens on whether
Sunday sales of alcohol should be allowed.
Nevada: Nevada lawmakers approve powdered alcohol ban
Nevada lawmakers have approved a bill that would ban powdered alcohol in the state. Assembly members voted to approve SB464 on a 34-8 vote on Friday. The measure passed unanimously out of the Senate earlier in April.
New York: Liquor store owner objects to state granting license to wine store
The state Liquor Authority voted Wednesday to license a high-end wine store on Liberty Street, over the objections of a nearby liquor store owner who argued that it would erode his business and violate a prohibition on alcohol sales near schools and churches.
New York: Black Button Distilling gets bond approved
A week after U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called attention to the regulatory delays faced by alcohol industry, the company that hosted his news conference has received the approvals necessary to expand the company and increase production.
New York: Judge: Empire Wine can question SLA officials at hearing
Empire Wine should have the right to question four State Liquor Authority employees, an acting state Supreme Court justice has determined. Justice Gerald Connolly of Albany has ordered SLA to comply with subpoenas issued by the Colonie retailer, which is defending its license after the regulator cited it last summer for shipping wine to customers in 16 states where such direct shipments are illegal.
North Carolina: Contract Brewing, Powdered Alcohol, Distillery Sales and More - What Does the N.C. Legislature Have in Store?

The North Carolina Senate Finance Committee passed House Bill 909 on 27 May 2015, which would make several significant changes to North Carolina alcoholic beverage control ("ABC") laws. The fourth edition of the bill includes changes to North Carolina ABC laws governing powdered alcohol, contract brewing, alternating proprietorships for breweries, direct sales by distilleries, and sales of wine in growlers, among other issues.
Ohio: Ohio House OKs Ban On Pure Caffeine, Powdered Alcohol Sales
A bill banning the sale of pure caffeine products in Ohio cleared the state House on Wednesday, one year after a high school senior overdosed on a powdered form of the stimulant and died.
The legislation would make it a misdemeanor offense to sell products consisting solely or primarily of caffeine that's manufactured into a crystalline, liquid or powdered form.
Pennsylvania: House passes bill that allows shipment of alcohol to residences
A bill that was recently passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would allow the direct shipment of alcoholic beverages to residences in Pennsylvania.
South Dakota: New prohibition: Ban on alcohol sales proposed
A well-known marijuana legalization advocate and an anti-smoking smoker are leading two ballot initiatives that would outlaw the sale of tobacco and alcohol in South Dakota.
Texas: After SXSW passed, liquor sales dip: See who sold the most booze in April
The post-South By Southwest hangover set in on the local leisure and liquor industry in April.
Monthly sales in the Austin area dropped an average of nearly 13 percent per liquor license compared to March. Compared to a year ago, however, April sales were up 10 percent.
Utah: New campaign targets parents who give alcohol to teens
High school graduations are in full swing this week and Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy Tuesday says he has a seat reserved for any adult who provides alcohol to a teenager.
Utah: Utah liquor agency needs to improve decision-making, accounting, audit shows
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control should hire an outside consultant to review its data-entry and decision-making processes, and managers need more training in "industry best practices," urges a state audit released Tuesday. The state liquor department also needs to improve accounting controls and monitoring of certain types of package agencies along with some of its warehouse procedures.
Utah: Utah may be losing out on alcohol tax revenue, state audit shows
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's failure to check the accuracy of sales reports from some liquor outlets could result in the loss of tax revenue to the state, a new audit shows. A state financial audit released Tuesday says the agency does not monitor monthly reports submitted by breweries, distilleries and winery package agencies that are used to calculate the tax on their income.
Virginia: Buy a big bottle of Va.-made liquor, get a free trucker cap
Starting now, if you buy a 750mL or larger bottle of a Virginia made spirit at participating Virginia
ABC stores, you can get a free Virginia is for Lovers trucker cap.

Virginia: Beer Cocktail Bans and Other Stupid Booze Laws
Is it legal to mix beer and spirits together into the same cocktail, as bartenders have been doing for centuries? In 49 states, the answer is unequivocally yes. But in Virginia, a state known for having some of the nation's most restrictive alcohol laws, the answer is a little more complicated, leaving bartenders, imbibers, and even state legislators confused as to whether combining a shot of whiskey and a pint of beer in one glass will bring down the heavy hand of the state's Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Washington: Liquor Control Board starts publishing online marijuana report
Average daily marijuana sales in Washington are now over $1 million according to the
Washington State Liquor Board. The liquor control board, soon to be the liquor and cannabis board, recently launched a new weekly marijuana report which is posted to its website and posted every Wednesday.
Washington: Big changes coming to Washington state Liquor Control Board
Big changes are coming to the state Liquor Control Board, including a name change.The same law that will change the Liquor Control Board's name July 24 to the "Liquor and Cannabis Board" also directed the agency to decide which unlicensed medical-marijuana shops and grow operations to legitimize by July 1, 2016.
States declare war on powdered alcohol
Powdered alcohol, given the green light by federal regulators in March, is facing battles across the country as state legislatures and federal politicians file legislation aimed at banning the newly approved product.
How Dangerous Is Powdered Alcohol?
Last month, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved a powdered alcohol product, making both parents and lawmakers nervous. Some states have already banned powdered alcohol. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Brent Roth of Wired, who made his own powdered concoction and put it to the test.
7 Things You Never Knew Were In Your Wine
Sulfites, tannins, resveratrol-if you've read anything about wine, you've probably come across at least one of these terms. But what does all the fancy verbiage mean for your health? We asked
Jim Harbertson, PhD, associate professor of enology (that is, the science of wine) at Washington
State University, to decode the lingo.
Dollar Tree CEO: 330 Family Dollar stores up for sale
Dollar Tree Inc. says it will divest 330 Family Dollar stores to gain Federal Trade Commission approval of the discount retailers' proposed merger. Dollar Tree had expected to close this month on its acquisition of Matthews-based Family Dollar Stores Inc., but the deal still has not won FTC approval. Dollar Tree now says the merger won't close until early July.
US-Cuba relations: What stronger ties between the two nations mean for the rum industry

Call it a liquor legend. As revolution engulfed Cuba at the end of the 1950s, the coconut tree that
Facundo Bacardi had planted at his distillery in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, as a symbol of company prosperity, began to wither and die. Months later, Fidel Castro would seize the property and the Bacardi family would flee the island.
The Right Glass for the Right Beer
When one thinks of a beer glass, one likely thinks of what we've come to call the "pint glass," a staple at every pub, bar, and restaurant across the country. While dependable, useful, and classic in its own right, a standard pint glass does not do justice to every single style of beer.
What Goes Into Wine-Label Design?
Does blue on a bottle turn off buyers? Will a fussy label hamper the sale of a cheap wine? Some graphic artists have been designing wine labels for decades, and they know what works. Lettie
Teague investigates.
Distributor taps into needs of niche craft beers
Boston is the center of suds-soaked innovation once again as the American Craft Beer Fest rolls into the Seaport World Trade Center tomorrow and Saturday. The festival is hosted by the internationally influential Boston-based website BeerAdvocate.com, founded in the 1990s by Bay
State natives Jason and Todd Alstrom. They were doing social media before the phrase even existed. The "bros" today drive trends across the global beer market, which reaffirms our city's status as The Hub of American craft brewing.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much? A New Study Has Answers
Alcohol, at least in moderation, can help the heart, but too much can be toxic. The latest study tells you where to draw the line.
The top beer brand on Twitter is...
Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start to the summer beer drinking season and you can be sure social-media-savvy beer drinkers will be engaging with their favorite brands as they sip their summer brews.
Millennials Hate Beer, MorganStanley Report Finds
Macro-brews are in dire straits. Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors have been reporting precipitous sales declines for years as consumers have switched away from beer brands like
Budweiser, Bud Light and Miller Light toward craft beer, wine and spirits.
Bourbon Bait and Switch: What's Really in Your Glass?
Every bourbon brand wants you to believe it's distilled in its own quaint, rustic distillery. The truth sometimes isn't so romantic.
Saluting the red, white and brew: 'The Field Guide to Drinking in America'
In "The Field Guide to Drinking in America: A Traveler's Handbook to State Liquor Laws," the
Portland, Ore.-based author talks up a seemingly dull topic: liquor laws. Divided into seven geographic regions, the book, published in April by Overcup Press, illuminates how liquor laws - and implicitly, attitudes toward alcohol itself - vary across the country.

Tried and True or Adventurous: Do Consumers Stick to Their Favorite Alcohol Brands?
While some consumers like to stick with what they know, others are more adventurous-even in the alcoholic beverage aisle. In February 2015, Nielsen fielded an English-only survey of more than two thousand adults in an attempt to determine which alcoholic beverage drinkers are the most open to trying new brands-beer, wine or spirit drinkers.
A Crafty Conundrum
This Rabobank Spirits Quarterly focuses on the challenges of engaging with and adapting to a changing consumer base worldwide. In the spirits industry, consumers are looking for new experiences. Millennials especially are pushing the boundaries of the sector in an effort to find new brands and products. The shift in consumer behaviour is mirrored by the rapid rise of craft spirits in the US, and is creating structural challenges for established spirits players.
Reusable pen can use alcohol instead of ink
The device, called the Winkpen, is designed to suck liquids in through the glass nib, allowing the user to write on paper without needing regular ink. The "sustainable" pen can be disassembled, rinsed out and cleaned for repeated use.