Council-Backed Legislation Allows Seven Day Sales; Tastings
The Distilled Spirits Council today applauded the North Carolina House ABC Committee for passing legislation out of committee that would allow seven day spirits sales and tastings.
The legislation, HB 91, would allow local ABC boards to set retail days and hours of operation as they so choose. It would also permit preplanned tasting events in ABC stores where adult consumers could sample up to 0.25 ounces of a single product with a limit of 1.0 ounce per day. These tasting events, which allow consumers to ‘try before they buy,’ has helped fuel the premium spirits trend across the country.
“Increasing shopping convenience is good for the consumer and good for North Carolina,” said David Wojnar, Vice President of the Distilled Spirits Council, the trade association for the nation’s distillers that supports the legislation. “Seven day spirits sales and tastings are consumer-friendly measures that will greatly enhance the shopping experience. We look forward to working with the legislature and North Carolina ABC to implement these marketplace improvements.”
The Council is currently running a Boot the Ban NC campaign encouraging state lawmakers to #FreeTheCocktailsNC and give consumers the choice and convenience of seven day spirits sales. Forty-three states now allow the retail sale of distilled spirits on Sundays.