Juneau’s breweries and distillery can continue to host fundraisers and First Friday events after the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board unanimously decided not to adopt a regulation definition.<\/p>\n
The definition was nearly unanimously panned during its public comment period, which saw more than 1,200 comments from Alaskans. It would have defined “other recreational or gaming opportunities” — which are banned at breweries, distilleries and wineries by state law — as festivals, games and competitions, classes, public parties, presentations or performances and other social gatherings advertised to the general public.<\/p>\n
“I’m very happy with the decision of the board to not adopt,” said Evan Wood, one of Devil’s Club Brewing Company’s owners, who said he was listening in on the meeting held Tuesday in Anchorage. “It’s a relief.”<\/p>\n
The motion to not adopt the regulations passed unanimously.<\/p>\n
Alcohol & Marijuana Control Board Director Erika McConnell asked the board during the meeting if that means the matter is closed, and Board Chair Bob Klein said it is. She also asked if in effect, that means AMCO staff should ignore the “other recreational activities” portion of regulations.<\/p>\n
Klein said for now, yes, but egregious matters should be brought to the board.<\/p>\n
The vote on the failed definition change had drawn public attention for months since it was announced in late August<\/a>.<\/p>\n [That’s too far’: Alcohol manufactures have gripe with proposed restriction<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n The matter drew the ire of local alcohol manufacturers, including Devil’s Club, Amalga Distillery<\/a> and Barnaby Brewing Company<\/a>, but it did have support from some local bar owners. Support for the definition change from bar and liquor store owners often framed the issue as a need to rein in businesses with manufacturing licenses, rather than beverage dispensary licenses, that were exploiting vague wording for profit in a way that wasn’t intended. Part of that objection is tied to the price discrepancy between the two types of licenses.<\/p>\n Manufacturing licenses come with a biennial fee of $1,000, according to the AMCO website<\/a>, and beverage dispensary licenses come with a fee of $2,500. There are $500 new application fees for alcohol licenses. But, getting a beverage dispensary license in Juneau comes with a price tag that far exceeds application and licensing fees since all of Juneau’s beverage dispensary licenses are spoken for.<\/p>\n State statute puts a population-linked limit on the number of licenses by type that communities can have — in Juneau, that’s 11 beverage dispensary licenses.<\/p>\n There are 20 such licensees in Juneau because businesses were grandfathered in when the regulations were adopted in the 1980s, said City and Borough of Juneau City Clerk Beth McEwen.<\/p>\n “That’s why they’re such hot commodities,” McEwen said.<\/p>\n