Bottles to Buy but no Locations to Drink.

Sooo, Random question. The answer won't help me much at this point, but maybe later down the line it will.

When I go to my LHBS they have a lot of beers that don't have any major brewery funding their operations, they aren't a micro brewery or brewpub, some don't even have a website I can find.

So are there different licenses that people/companies can get that allows them to sell bottles but not serve?

I was confused as to how I could find bottles to buy but not locations to drink.

Are you sure it's not homebrewers who made their own labels?

Airborneguy said:

Are you sure it's not homebrewers who made their own labels?

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But homebrewers, as far as I know... don't have any licensing that even with a label would be able to sell their brew within a store front.

I mean, when I throw my label on my beer It looks like a commerical beer but I also have extensive multi-media experience and used high quality laser printing, but still... I couldn't sell my homebrew yet.

Of course, but maybe the LHBS is doing it anyway.

Anyway, there are very small breweries and even contract brewers who don't have their own brewery, which produce very small batches.

The reason I suggested homebrewers was because you said you couldn't find anything on the internet for some.

Airborneguy said:

Of course, but maybe the LHBS is doing it anyway.

Anyway, there are very small breweries and even contract brewers who don't have their own brewery, which produce very small batches.

The reason I suggested homebrewers was because you said you couldn't find anything on the internet for some.

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Very interesting my friend. What is a contract brewer?

I know here you can get a license to sell on premise but not distribute, so it could be something similar. How do you know for certain they aren't from a brewpub? A contract brewer is exactly what Airborneguy stated. It's a brewery that produces small batches for other people who don't have the equipment or facilities to produce their own commercial beer.

Maybe they have a license to produce/sell but can't find any bars that want to carry it?

arturo7 said:

Maybe they have a license to produce/sell but can't find any bars that want to carry it?

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I don't know but it is very interesting to me.

Does anyoe know if there is a seperate license that would allow you to sell to local shops without going through the severe needs and money output of constructing a brewpub?

There are a buttload of hoops you need to jump through to become a licensed brewery. It varies from state to state. There are a few threads here from people who have done it. Maybe do a search.

ChiN8 said:

I don't know but it is very interesting to me.

Does anyoe know if there is a seperate license that would allow you to sell to local shops without going through the severe needs and money output of constructing a brewpub?

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If you want to sell beer in any form to anyone, you need to pay taxes on it, and the TTB has to approve the premises where the beer will be brewed. Structures used for residence are not qualified, so it needs to be a separate building. As some members here have shown, it can be a small outbuilding in the back yard. Beyond that, they really just want you to pay the proper taxes on all beer produced, and keep very detailed and accurate records of everything. The state and local levels of government are typically the more difficult obstacles.

If you're serious, start researching your local zoning codes and state licensing laws.

If you're still serious after that, read this-http://www.ttb.gov/beer/brewers-notice.shtml

Wait, you can buy (bottled) beer from a LHBS? I've never heard of that before.

But then again I live in Pennsylvania where the LCB is ridiculous.

The laws governing the sale of alcohol are going to vary by state, and even by county in some cases as to who can sell what and when. Usually there are different tiers of liquor licenses. Some allow you to sell beer only. Some allow you to sell any alcohol. Some let you to carry alcohol for retail sale, but not for consumption on site. Many states require that you sell food (and that the food makes up a certain percentage of your sales) to sell alcohol for consumption.