Among the changes benefiting craft distilleries: Customers sampling liquor at the distillery can have their half shot with water or soda. Distilleries can also get a license to store their liquor in a warehouse.
Wineries can have twice as many tasting rooms , where they can sell growlers and kegs of their products as well as samples, away from their main location.
Charities can get a special license allowing them to auction wine to raise money. They can also provide tastings of the wine that will be auctioned.
Package stores that want to sell beer, wine and liquor can get a single “combination” license instead of multiple licenses
And mead is now defined in state law.
These are just the latest changes to Washington State’s liquor laws since the state approved privatization in 2012. They were signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.