Chapter 134 Oregon Laws 2007

 

AN ACT

 

SB 451

 

Relating to distilleries; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 471.200, 471.230 and 471.396.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

          SECTION 1. ORS 471.230 is amended to read:

          471.230. (1) A distillery license shall allow the holder thereof to import, manufacture, distill, rectify, blend, denature and store spirits of an alcoholic content greater than 17 percent alcohol by weight, to sell the same to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission[,] and to transport the same out of this state for sale outside this state. Distillery licensees shall be permitted to purchase from and through the commission alcoholic beverages for blending and manufacturing purposes upon such terms and conditions as the commission may provide. No such licensee shall sell any alcoholic beverage within this state except to the commission or as provided in [subsection (2) of] this section. However, any agricultural producer or association of agricultural producers or legal agents thereof who manufacture and convert agricultural surpluses, by-products and wastes into denatured ethyl and industrial alcohol for use in the arts and industry shall not be required to obtain a license from the commission.

          (2) A distillery licensee [that distills brandy or pot distilled liquor] may:

          (a) Permit tastings of [such brandy or pot] the distilled liquor [by visitors on] manufactured by the distillery. The tastings may be conducted on the premises and on at least one other premises owned or leased by the licensee. The licensee must purchase the [brandy or pot] distilled liquor from the commission.

          (b) Apply for appointment as a retail sales agent of the commission for purposes of retailing only [brandy or pot] distilled liquor that the licensee distilled in Oregon at the two locations at which tastings are permitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection.

          (3) Notwithstanding ORS 471.392 to 471.400, a distillery licensee may also hold a full on-premises sales license for a location at the licensed premises of the distillery and a full on-premises sales license for one other location. All distilled spirits sold under the full on-premises sales license must be purchased from the commission.

 

          SECTION 2. ORS 471.396 is amended to read:

          471.396. (1) The prohibitions of ORS 471.394 (1) do not apply to persons holding winery licenses, grower sales privilege licenses, brewery-public house licenses, distillery licenses or brewery licenses, to the extent that retail sales are authorized by the statutes establishing the privileges of each license.

          (2)(a) The prohibitions of ORS 471.394 (2) and (3) do not apply to a person who wholesales alcoholic liquor and who is not required to be licensed under the provisions of this chapter if the retail licensee does not sell any brand of alcoholic liquor sold or distributed by the person and does not sell any brand of alcoholic liquor produced by any manufacturer doing business with the person selling at wholesale.

          (b) The prohibitions of ORS 471.394 (2) and (3) do not apply to a manufacturer of alcoholic liquor if the retail licensee does not sell any brand of alcoholic liquor sold, distributed or produced by the manufacturer and does not sell any brand of alcoholic liquor sold, distributed or produced by any subsidiary or other business entity that the manufacturer owns or manages, or that the manufacturer exercises control over.

          (3) The prohibitions of ORS 471.394 do not apply solely by reason of the family relationship of a spouse or family member to a manufacturer or wholesaler if:

          (a) The manufacturer or wholesaler is licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to sell alcoholic liquor at wholesale;

          (b) The license authorizing sale of alcoholic liquor at wholesale was first issued before January 1, 1965, and has been held continuously since that date;

          (c) The spouse or family member holds or seeks a license that authorizes the retail sale of alcoholic liquor for off-premises consumption only; and

          (d) The manufacturer or wholesaler does not directly or indirectly sell alcoholic liquor to the spouse or family member.

          (4) The prohibitions of ORS 471.394 do not apply solely by reason of the family relationship of a spouse or family member to the retail licensee if the manufacturer or wholesaler is licensed by the commission to sell alcoholic liquor at wholesale and does not directly or indirectly sell alcoholic liquor to the spouse or family member.

          (5) Notwithstanding ORS 471.394, a manufacturer or wholesaler, and any officer, director or substantial stockholder of any corporate manufacturer or wholesaler, may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a full or limited on-premises sales licensee, provided that the interest does not result in exercise of control over, or participation in the management of, the licensee’s business or business decisions, and does not result in exclusion of any competitor’s brand of alcoholic liquor.

          (6) Notwithstanding ORS 471.394, a full or limited on-premises sales licensee, and any officer, director or substantial stockholder of any corporate full or limited on-premises sales licensee, may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a manufacturer or wholesaler, provided that the interest does not result in exercise of control over, or participation in the management of, the manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s business or business decisions, and does not result in exclusion of any competitor’s brand of alcoholic liquor.

          (7) Notwithstanding ORS 471.394, an institutional investor with a financial interest in a wholesaler or manufacturer may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a retail licensee unless the institutional investor controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, a wholesaler or manufacturer. Notwithstanding ORS 471.394, an institutional investor with a financial interest in a retail licensee may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a wholesaler or manufacturer unless the institutional investor controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, a retail licensee. The provisions of this subsection apply only to an institutional investor that is a state or federally chartered bank, a state or federally chartered mutual savings bank, a mutual fund or pension fund, or a private investment firm. The principal business activity of the institutional investor must be the investment of capital provided by depositors, participants or investors. The institutional investor must maintain a diversified portfolio of investments. The majority of the institutional investor’s investments may not be in businesses that manufacture, distribute or otherwise sell alcoholic beverages. The institutional investor, and the officers, directors, substantial shareholders, partners, employees and agents of the institutional investor, may not participate in management decisions relating to the sale or purchase of alcoholic beverages made by a licensee in which the institutional investor holds an interest.

          (8) Notwithstanding ORS 471.394, a member of the board of directors of a parent company of a corporation that is a manufacturer may serve on the board of directors of a parent company of a corporation that is a retail licensee if:

          (a) The manufacturer or parent company of a manufacturer is listed on a national security exchange;

          (b) All purchases of alcoholic beverages by the retail licensee are made from holders of wholesale malt beverage and wine licenses, brewery licenses or winery licenses in this state;

          (c) The interest of the member of the board of directors does not result in the exclusion of any competitor’s brand of alcoholic beverages on the licensed premises of the retail licensee; and

          (d) The sale of goods and services other than alcoholic beverages by the retail licensee exceeds 50 percent of the gross receipts of the business conducted by the retail licensee on the licensed premises.

 

          SECTION 3. The amendments to ORS 471.230 and 471.396 by sections 1 and 2 of this 2007 Act apply to all distillery licenses, whether issued before, on or after the effective date of this 2007 Act.

 

          SECTION 4. ORS 471.200 is amended to read:

          471.200. (1) A brewery-public house license allows the licensee:

          (a) To manufacture on the licensed premises, store, transport, sell to wholesale malt beverage and wine licensees of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and export malt beverages;

          (b) To sell malt beverages manufactured on or off the licensed premises at retail for consumption on or off the premises;

          (c) To sell malt beverages in brewery-sealed packages at retail directly to the consumer for consumption off the premises;

          (d) To sell on the licensed premises at retail malt beverages manufactured on or off the licensed premises in unpasteurized or pasteurized form directly to the consumer for consumption off the premises, delivery of which may be made in a securely covered container supplied by the consumer;

          (e) To sell wine and cider at retail for consumption on or off the premises; and

          (f) To conduct the activities described in paragraphs (b) to (e) of this subsection at one location other than the premises where the manufacturing occurs.

          (2) In addition to the privileges specified in subsection (1) of this section, in any calendar year a brewery-public house licensee may sell at wholesale to licensees of the commission malt beverages produced by the brewery-public house licensee if the brewery-public house licensee produced 1,000 barrels or less of malt beverages in the immediately preceding calendar year.

          (3) A brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, is a retail licensee for the purposes of ORS 471.394 and, except as otherwise provided by this section and ORS 471.396, may not acquire or hold any right, title, lien, claim or other interest, financial or otherwise, in, upon or to the premises, equipment, business or merchandise of any manufacturer or wholesaler, as defined in ORS 471.392. A brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, is also a manufacturer for the purposes of ORS 471.398 and, except as otherwise provided by this section and ORS 471.400, may not acquire or hold any right, title, lien, claim or other interest, financial or otherwise, in, upon or to the premises, equipment, business or merchandise of any other retail licensee, as defined in ORS 471.392.

          (4) A brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, is a retail licensee for the purposes of ORS 471.398 and, except as otherwise provided by this section and ORS 471.400, may not accept directly or indirectly any financial assistance described in ORS 471.398 from any manufacturer or wholesaler, as defined in ORS 471.392. A brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, is also a manufacturer for the purposes of ORS 471.398 and, except as otherwise provided by this section and ORS 471.400, may not provide directly or indirectly any financial assistance described in ORS 471.398 to any retail licensee, as defined in ORS 471.392. The prohibitions on financial assistance in ORS 471.398 do not apply to financial assistance between manufacturing and retail businesses licensed to the same person under the provisions of this section.

          (5) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, a brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, may also hold a winery license authorized by ORS 471.223. A brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, may also hold a warehouse license authorized by ORS 471.242.

          (6) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, a brewery-public house licensee is eligible for limited on-premises sales licenses and temporary sales licenses.

          (7)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, and except as provided in this subsection, a brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, may also hold a full on-premises sales license. If a person holds both a brewery-public house license and a full on-premises sales license, nothing in this chapter shall prevent the sale by the licensee of both distilled liquor and malt beverages manufactured under the brewery-public house license.

          (b) The commission may not issue a full on-premises sales license to a brewery-public house licensee under the provisions of this subsection if the brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee or exercising control over the licensee, is a brewery that brews more than 200,000 barrels of malt beverages annually or a winery that produces more than 200,000 gallons of wine annually.

          [(c) The commission may not issue a full on-premises sales license to a brewery-public house licensee under the provisions of this subsection if the brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee or exercising control over the licensee, is a distillery, unless the distillery produces only pot distilled liquor and produces no more than 12,000 gallons of pot distilled liquor annually.]

          (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a brewery-public house licensee, or any person having an interest in the licensee, may also hold a distillery license [if the licensee produces only pot distilled liquor, and produces no more than 12,000 gallons of pot distilled liquor annually]. No provision of this chapter prevents a brewery-public house licensee from becoming a retail sales agent of the commission for the purpose of selling distilled liquors.

          (9) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, the commission by rule may authorize a brewery-public house licensee to coproduce special events with other manufacturers.

          (10)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, a brewery-public house licensee may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a manufacturer or wholesaler, provided that the interest does not result in exercise of control over, or participation in the management of, the manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s business or business decisions and does not result in exclusion of any competitor’s brand of alcoholic liquor.

          (b) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, a manufacturer or wholesaler, and any officer, director or substantial stockholder of any corporate manufacturer or wholesaler, may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in a brewery-public house licensee, provided that the interest does not result in exercise of control over, or participation in the management of, the licensee’s business or business decisions and does not result in exclusion of any competitor’s brand of alcoholic liquor.

          (11) For purposes of ORS chapter 473, a brewery-public house licensee shall be considered to be a manufacturer.

 

Approved by the Governor May 15, 2007

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State May 15, 2007

 

Effective date January 1, 2008

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