Purpose of the Bill

The bill intends to modify certain restrictions related to liquor licenses in Minnesota, specifically focusing on microdistillery and distilled spirits manufacturer licenses. It aims to update rules for cocktail room licenses, allowing for greater flexibility and clarity in operations.

Main Provisions

• Cocktail Room License Authority: A municipality can issue a cocktail room license to holders of microdistillery or distilled spirits manufacturer licenses. This license permits the onsale of distilled liquor produced by the licensee for consumption at or adjacent to their distillery.
• Sunday Operations: Cocktail rooms can operate and sell their products on Sundays if permitted by the municipality.
• Combination of Licenses: A holder of a cocktail room license can also have a license to operate a restaurant at the distillery.
• Retail Liquor License Applicability: All rules that apply to retail liquor licenses will also apply to the cocktail room licenses unless they are inconsistent with the specific provisions in this section.
• Limitations on Licenses: A distiller may only possess one cocktail room license, and they cannot hold both a cocktail room license and a taproom license simultaneously unless they were already holding both types of licenses as of August 20, 2014.
• Licensing Fees and Notifications: The municipality will impose a licensing fee for a cocktail room license and must inform the state commissioner about new licenses, including their status changes like transfers or cancellations.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The bill allows cocktail rooms to open on Sundays with municipal approval, which was previously restricted.
• It clarifies that cocktail room licenses cannot be combined with taproom licenses unless pre-existing before August 20, 2014, thereby preventing new colocations.

Relevant Terms

• Microdistillery
• Distilled spirits manufacturer
• Cocktail room license
• Municipal liquor store
• Onsale business
• Taproom license
• Retail liquor license
• Licensing fees