Among the changes sent to the governor on a 43-13 vote: allowing craft breweries, distilleries and farm wineries to share a liquor license inside the same building, expanding the locations where beer and wine to go can be sold, increased enforcement authority over out-of-state companies selling alcohol to Arizona residents without an Arizona liquor license, and permitting a craft distiller to deliver spirits to a licensed premise next to the distillery or to a remote tasting room.
The legislation has been promoted by the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, whose lobbyist, Camila Alarcon, called it “a great thing. It will allow them to have new types of spaces … a communal space for local businesses.”
California, Oregon, Washington and New York already allow cooperative tasting rooms.
“Micro wineries are going to be able to have a sales opportunity, kind of like in France,” Rod Keeling, who operates Keeling Shaefer Vineyards, said. “Maybe a bunch of them that are too small or don’t have enough money band together and go rent a space.”