In Florida, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco conducts an annual Quota Alcoholic Beverage License Drawing, a process governed by state law and administrative rules. This lottery issues new liquor licenses to businesses in counties with an increased population. Licenses are generally awarded when a county’s population grows by 7,500 people. Still, there are exceptions in five counties due to special acts. Quota licenses are available for Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Marion ..read more

Obtaining a liquor license for your establishment in Florida is an accomplishment – but getting that license suspended or revoked can be easier than you might think. People head out to bars and clubs because they want to have a good time and relax. Unfortunately, some folks have a hard time letting off some steam without blowing up. When there’s alcohol involved, misunderstandings can happen and tempers can flare unexpectedly – and that can put your liquor license in danger. When establishments develop a reputation for trouble, the authorities crack down Florida law explicitly prohibits the li ..read more

Securing a quota license to sell alcoholic beverages at a retail or dining establishment will involve significant investments. You will need to carefully comply with Florida law and most likely pay thousands of dollars to secure the license.  There are large waiting lists in some areas, as there are more businesses that would like to serve alcohol than available quota licenses at the county level. Rather than applying for a license and ending up on a waitlist, can you buy an existing liquor license from another company?  Yes, those with a license can sell it Florida does allow a busi ..read more

Tax and compliance errors can prove to be costly to your brewery. Fortunately, most of them are easily avoidable if you know what to watch out for. Here are four types of common errors the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) encounters from breweries. These are based on the errors most commonly found during audits: 1. Records You need to keep detailed records of operations and inventories. You must ensure these, as well as all necessary supporting documentation, are up to date. When starting out, putting a clear filing system in place can reduce the risk of being unable to find all ..read more

On May 25, 2022, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau announced proposed changes to the standards of fill. It proposed ten additional authorized standards of fill for wine and all the related technical and “harmonizing” changes. Moreover, as an alternative, it is also considering eliminating all but the minimum fill wine containers. It also proposed the removal of all but the minimum and maximum for distilled spirits containers. These changes were in response to the Treasury Department’s recommendations in the February of 2022 report on competition and how to encourage and protect the ..read more

It is critical that all establishments that serve alcohol have a proper liquor license in Florida. This is true for bars, clubs and restaurants, for example. There are also liquor licenses for more short-term use, such as authorizing alcohol to be sold at a festival or a business function over a few days. But regardless of the duration, the license must be obtained in advance. This means that one of the first things a business owner needs to do is to apply for the proper license. They should never begin selling alcohol before it is granted. They also need to be very careful not to violate any ..read more

It takes a lot of time, effort and paperwork to get your liquor license, but, when you do finally obtain yours, your business can do just about anything it wants – or, at least that’s the belief.  Of course, as you may know, you still have to follow many rules and regulations to ensure your business is running smoothly. Yet, there are many myths about liquor licensing that may jeopardize your business. Here’s what you should know: Myth #1: You only have to follow federal regulations Truth: Business owners with liquor licenses do have many federal laws and regulations to adhere to. Ye ..read more

If you operate a restaurant in Florida and are considering including alcoholic drinks on the menu, there are some requirements you have to meet to do so. First, you must have a beer, wine, and liquor consumption on-premises license (4COP-SFS) issued by Florida’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco. Under state laws, your restaurant must fulfill the following conditions to get a license to serve liquor on the premises. Your restaurant must have at least 2,500 square feet of service area It must be equipped to serve meals to 150 persons at a go Most of its revenue (at least 51%) must c ..read more

Any establishment that legally sells alcohol in Florida must be duly licensed to do so. However, obtaining a liquor license can be a challenging and lengthy process, depending on the license you seek. And once you obtain your liquor license, there are strict rules and regulations that the establishment must adhere to. An establishment can lose its liquor license due to non-compliance with Florida laws. Some of these non-compliance issues include: Selling alcohol to minors The legal age of drinking in Florida is 21 years of age. Thus, selling liquor to individuals under the age of 21 is an offe ..read more

The alcohol industry and its consumers are as trendy as other industries, if not more than most. In the last few years, the rise of hard seltzer has been a prime example. There are early innovators like White Claw and Truly, and corporate giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev are releasing their own versions. The light, refreshing beverage, which may be brewed or blended, is also an excellent alternative for smaller craft brewers looking to expand their customer base without getting new equipment or licensing. Trade data indicates that the marketing of hard seltzer has slowed down a bit, but sales ..read more