That’s the contention of Philip McDaniel, ceo, St. Augustine Distillery. The bill, expected to be signed by Gov. Rick Scott within the next 30 days, increases the number of bottles a distillery can sell to a consumer to four a year from two. That’s a good thing, McDaniel says.
But it denies distillers privileges that Florida wineries and breweries enjoy, including the elimination of all limits on bottle sales from a distillery’s tasting room, as well as the ability for distilleries to sell drinks by the glass.
“In essence, (we) are being discriminated against because we sell spirits instead of beer or wine,” he told the Ponte Vedra Recorder.
Blame distributors, he says. “It’s that middle tier that has had complete control over the distribution of alcohol that has been opposing any changes to the three-tier system. They see it as a threat to their livelihood. Slowly, over the past 30 years, it’s been changing.”
He says he values his relationship with wholesalers and doesn’t want to change the three-tier system. But when guests visit his distillery, the number of bottles they can buy shouldn’t be limited, and they should be able to have a glass of the distillery’s spirits.
Why this matters: If distilleries are more profitable out of their gift shops or tasting rooms, they could use the extra revenue for marketing, helping distributors sell their products at retail and compete with big brands, he says.