Consumers have changed how they purchase alcohol in 2020, skyrocketing home delivery demand. In response to changing retail demand, alcohol sellers have been pivoting from the on-premises environment to expand their direct to consumer delivery and shipping offerings and turning to third-party providers (TPPs) to facilitate logistics and delivery. But this shift to home alcohol delivery hasn’t exactly been totally seamless, much like all things during this difficult time.
Read MoreCalifornia Reopening Roadmap is Now a Blueprint for a Safer Economy
Just when I was enjoying the road trip metaphor, Governor Newsom releases the “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” starting August 31. Apparently, the previous system wasn’t self-explanatory without our blog posts as a guide to the 10 different websites a business owner had to visit to figure out if they could operate and how, so the State of California is trying to streamline things. This new system also uses the same color scheme as we’re used to seeing for wildfires and air quality, so that if we didn’t already have PTSD from 2020, now we have another trigger.
Read MoreThe Hospitality Reopening Roadmap to Success
When we look back on this Covid age of wonder, we will hopefully compliment ourselves on adapting to quickly changing environments, taking care of our communities, and coming together to stave off pandemic and economic collapse. But for now, it sure feels like not nobody knows what’s going on and this is all harder than it should be, amiright?
Read MoreSalads Not A Meal in California, Says ABC
Image from Pexels
In the argument between meat-eaters and health nuts about whether salads are a meal, California produce lovers thought they had won the debate over the decades through the spread of entrée salads, half salad / half sandwich combos, salad trios, and salad bars across all kinds of cuisines. But it turns out that those claiming rabbit food is not, in fact, a proper meal, have been right all along.
Read MoreDelivery Personnel Beware – The ABC is Coming for You and for the Licensees Hiring You to Deliver Alcoholic Beverages - This Time Its Justified
The ABC “Emergency Rules,” the Delivery Driver Minor Decoy Sting Program and Cocktails-To-Go
As regular readers of this blog are aware Hinman & Carmichael LLP has been defending licensees charged with selling alcohol to minors for well over 30 years. We have defended hundreds of cases and, when justified by regulatory or law enforcement overreach, have successfully taken cases as far as the California Supreme Court.
Read More- BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS BEWARE! THE DRUG TESTING REGIME STARTS ON JULY 1ST AND YOU MUST BE READY!
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- New California Alcohol Laws for 2024 – a Mixed Bag of Privileges, Punishments, Clarifications, and Politics
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- The Uniform Law Commission – Encouraging Consistent State by State Definitions, Protocols and Procedures
- San Francisco to the Governor - Review the RBS Program and Delay Implementation. Problems must be Corrected.
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- Competition in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Under the Microscope – Part 2
- Competition in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Now Under the Microscope
- Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 5: Looking Ahead
- It’s Time for a Regulatory Check-Up: Privacy Policies for email marketing and websites
- Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 4: Who’s responsible for ensuring legal drinking age?
- Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 3: Follow the Money
- BOOZE RULES 2021 – NEW CONTAINER SIZES APPROVED FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: KEEPING TRACK OF THE TTB’S ATTEMPTS TO REGULATE CONTANER SIZES
- Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 2: Collect sales tax from marketplaces or comply with alcohol guidance?
- Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 1: Solicitation of sales by unlicensed third-party providers
- Federal Cannabis Legalization Fortune-Telling
- BOOZE RULES – THE DIRECT SHIPPING WARS
- California ABC provides additional Covid guidance on virtual events and charitable promotions
- Hot Topics for Alcohol Delivery 2020
- California Reopening Roadmap is Now a Blueprint for a Safer Economy
- The Hospitality Reopening Roadmap to Success
- Salads Not A Meal in California, Says ABC
- Delivery Personnel Beware – The ABC is Coming for You and for the Licensees Hiring You to Deliver Alcoholic Beverages - This Time Its Justified
- Licensees Beware – the Harsh New ABC Enforcement Rules Are Effective Right Now
- Part 2: LEGAL FAQS ON REOPENING CA RESTAURANTS, BREWPUBS, BARS AND TASTING ROOMS
- John Hinman’s May 22, 2020 interview with Wine Industry Advisor on the ABC COVID-19 Regulatory Relief initiatives and the ABC “emergency rule” proposals
- Booze Rules May 21 - The Latest on the ABC Emergency Rules
- Part 1: Legal FAQs on Reopening CA Restaurants, Brewpubs, Bars and Tasting Rooms
- The ABC’s Fourth Round of Regulatory Relief - Expanded License Footprints Through Temporary COVID-19 Catering Authorizations, and Expanded Privileges for Club Licensees
- BOOZE RULES – May 17, 2020 Special Edition
- ABC ENFORCEMENT - ALIVE, ACTIVE AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY
- Frequently Asked Questions about ABC’s Guidance on Virtual Wine Tastings
- ABC Keeps California Hospitality Industry Essential
- ABC REGULATORY RELIEF – ROUND TWO – WHAT IT MEANS
- Essential Businesses Corona Virus Signage Requirement Every Essential Business in San Francisco Must Post Sign by Friday, April 3rd
- Promotions Compliance: Balancing Risk and Reward
- The March 25, 2020 ABC Guidance: Enforcement Continues; Charitable Giving Remains Subject to ABC Rules; and More – What Does it all Mean?
- Restaurant and Bar Best Practices – Surviving Covid 19, Stay at Home and Shelter in Place Under the New ABC Waivers
- Economically Surviving the Covid Crisis and the Shelter in Place Orders: A Primer on Regulatory interpretations and Options
- Booze Rules – Hinman & Carmichael LLP and the Corona Virus
- Booze Rules: 2020 and the Decade to Come – Great Expectations (with apologies to Charles Dickens)
- The RBS Chronicles: If Your Business serves Alcoholic Beverages YOU NEED TO READ THIS AND TAKE ACTION!
- RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE ACT HEARING – OCTOBER 11TH IN SACRAMENTO – BE THERE!
- WHEN THE INVESTIGATOR COMES CALLING – BEST PRACTICES.
- RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE ACT PROPOSED ABC RULES 160 TO 173 – WHY THE RUSH?
- The TTB Crusade Against Small Producers and the “Consignment Sale” Business Model
- TTB Protocols, Procedures, and Investigations
- Wine in a 250 ML can – the Mystery of the TTB packaging Regulations and Solving the Problem by Amending the Regulations
- The Passing of John Manfreda of the TTB: a Tragedy for his family and a Tragedy for the Industry he so Faithfully Served for so Long.
- Pride in a Job Well-done, or Blood Money? The Cost of Learning the Truth from the TTB about the Benefits to Investigators from Making Cases Against Industry Members
- How ADA Website Compliance Works – The Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself, Your Website and Your Social Media from Liability
- Supplier and Distributor Promotional “Banks,” Third Party Promotion Companies and Inconsistent TTB Enforcement, Oh My!
- “A Wrong Without a Remedy – Not in My America” – The TTB Death Penalty for Not Reporting Deaths
- Is a 1935 Alcohol Beverage Federal Trade Practice Law Stifling Innovation?
- Decoding the BCC’s Guidance on Commercial Cannabis Activity.
- Prop 65 - Escaping a "Notice of Violation"
- TTB Consignment Sales Investigations - What is Behind the Curtain of the TTB Press Releases?
- Heads Up! The ABC Is Stepping Up Enforcement Against Licensees Located Near Universities
- Coming Soon: New Mandatory Training Requirements for over One Million “Alcohol Servers” In California – September 1, 2021 will be here quickly
- 2019 Legislative Changes for California Alcohol Producers – a Blessing or a Curse?
- A Picture (On Instagram) Is Worth A Thousand Words
- Playing by the Rules: California Cannabis Final Regulations Takeaways
- Hinman & Carmichael LLP Names Erin Kelleher Partner and Welcomes Gillian Garrett and Tsion “Sunshine” Lencho to the Firm
- Congress Makes History and Changes the CBD Game for Good
- Pernicious Practices (stuff we see that will get folks in trouble!) Today’s Rant – Bill & Hold
- CBD: An Exciting New Fall Schedule… or Not?
- MISSISSIPPI RISING - A VICTORY FOR LEGAL RETAILER TO CONSUMER SALES, AND PASSAGE OF TITLE UNDER THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
- California ABC's Cannabis Advisory - Not Just for Stoners
- NEW CALIFORNIA WARNINGS FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND CANNABIS PRODUCTS TAKE EFFECT AUGUST 30, 2018, NOW INCLUDING ADDENDUM REGARDING 2014 CONSENT AGREEMENT PARTIES AND PARTICIPANTS
- National Conference of State Liquor Administrators – The Alcohol Industry gathers in Hawaii to figure out how to enforce the US “Highly Archaic Regulatory Scheme.”
- Founder John Hinman Honored with the Raphael House Community Impact Award
- ROUTE TO MARKET AND MARKETING RESTRICTIONS - NAVIGATING REGULATORY SYSTEM CONSTRAINTS
- Alcohol and Cannabis Ventures: Top 5 Legal Considerations
- ATF and TTB: Is Another Divorce on the Horizon? What’s Going on with the Agency?
- STRIKE 3 - YOU REALLY ARE OUT! THE ABC'S STRICT APPLICATION OF PENALTIES FOR SALES TO MINORS
- TTB Temporarily Fixes Problem with Fulfillment Warehouse Tax Credits - an “Alternate Procedure” for Paying Taxes & Reporting
- CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD ONE TOO MANY - THE FREE TRANSPORTATION DILEMMA
- The Renaissance of Federal Unfair Trade Practices - Current Issues and Strategies
- ‘Twas the week before New Year’s and the ABC is out in Force – Alerts for the Last Week of 2017, including the Limits on Free Rides
- Big Bottles, Caviar and a CA Wine Strong Silent Auction for the Holidays!
- The FDA and the Wine and Spirits Industry – Surprise inspections anyone?
- NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: UPDATED REGULATORY AGENCY DISASTER RELIEF RESOURCES AT A GLANCE
- NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: REGULATORY AGENCY DISASTER RELIEF RESOURCES AT A GLANCE
- Soon to come to your Local Supermarket– Instant Redeemable Coupons of the digital age!
- The License Piggyback Dilemma – If it Sounds Too Good to be True, it Probably is
- A timely message from our Florida colleagues on the tied house laws, the three-tier system and the need for reform
- ABC Declaratory Rulings – A Modest Proposal Whose Time has Come
- More on FDA Inspections - Breweries, Distilleries and Questions
- WHY THE FDA IS INSPECTING WINERIES
- Senate Bill 378—The Proposed Demise of Due Process for Alcohol Licensees
- ABC Enforcement - Trends and Predictions
- The Corruption Chronicles – Volume One: A New Hope
- New Alcohol Delivery Oversight on the Horizon