non-alcoholic mixers, water, and ice. These samples can be sold, but the total amount of samples per person per day is still limited to 2 ounces.

WASHINGTON WASHINGTON DISTILLERS GUILD It’s been an active season for the Washington Distillers Guild. State Legislatures worked through three special sessions to fund public schools and create a budget. Despite the focus being on those two items, the WDG was successful in getting the following important legislation passed:

• ESB 5834: The ability to store bonded and non-bonded spirits in a warehouse where we can store and handle bonded bulk spirits and bottled spirits, as well as storing tax-paid spirits not in bond.

• SB 5589: We passed a bill giving small improvement to our sampling privileges. We can now include in our samples, mixers with alcohol of the distiller's own production. Before this bill, we could only include 

latest

• The WDG is actively seeking an Executive Director and is negotiating terms with a very good candidate.

• Our 5th annual PROOF Washington event was our biggest and best yet, showcasing 40 local and out-of-state distilleries, 18 restaurants, 10 vendors, and 850 customers. Distillers were able to sell bottles directly from their tasting tables, with total sales hitting over $32K. Thirty percent of the funds received go to the WDG to fund legislative and marketing efforts. Jason Parker Co-Founder/President Copperworks Distilling Co.

In other news:

• The Washington Distillery Trail is now in development, with

! d suppliers distillers an ft ra c f o e nc llow guilds. tional audie reach a na d inspire fe n to a y s, it e n g u n rt alle oppo ur latest ch out on this s to solve yo n Don’t miss io st e g g su VED! rs, request it supporte O GET INVOL

G? GUILD MISSIN ru E T A T S R U O c IS Y victories, re Share your

The WDG’s bill (ESSB 5145), which was suggested by the WA State LCB and would have allowed distilleries to have the same private label privileges as the state’s wineries, breweries, and cideries, became tangled in a political fight between the legislature and Costco and so failed to pass. Though private labels have been produced for the past 4 years since privatization, the legislature feels there was no law allowing them to do so, and wants the LCB to enforce the current law, rather than change the law to meet current practices. We expect to see legal challenges from Costco, and the big box stores who are currently selling private labels.

Phase I scheduled to go live by the end of the quarter.

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