This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Distilleries could hold alcohol tastings on their premises — provided they serve food and get sign-off from the state — under a bill that won unanimous approval from a House committee Monday.
"We have hamstrung these manufacturers because we have really not allowed anyone to come in and taste their products," said Rep. Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville, the sponsor of the bill. "It gives the manufacturer the ability to allow the consumer to have a taste so they know what they're buying."
Wineries and breweries can already hold tastings. The bill expands the law to include distilleries and reduces the amounts of wine and beer that can be served at a tasting.
"Nobody's going to go into these manufacturers with the idea they're going to have a good time and get drunk off of tastings," Froerer said.
For any tasting, the manufacturer would have to submit its proposal to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for approval and would have to serve a variety of food with the alcoholic beverages.
But Froerer said it lets the distilleries let customers know what they're buying before they spend hundreds of dollars on the product.
"Let's let this industry do what industries do best, which is serve their customer," he said.
The bill unanimously passed the House Business and Labor Committee and moves to the full body for consideration.
— Robert Gehrke