New Jersey sets rules for microbreweries in the state

Several months after a false start, New Jersey has issued new rules for microbreweries.

News 12 Staff

May 29, 2019, 12:06 AM

Updated 1,939 days ago

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Several months after a false start, New Jersey has issued new rules for microbreweries.
The guidelines released by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Tuesday cover how many events breweries can host, who is allowed to drink on-premises and whether they can serve food.
Last fall, the state issued rules that prompted opposition from some microbrewery owners who said they would hurt business, so officials decided to suspend the process and do more study.
But the owners of some microbreweries in the Garden State say that they hope that the state reconsiders these plans.
“Have a public comment. Have actual hearings on these rules before they come into effect. That seems only fair, as the general public are the ones who are going to be affected,” says Jeffrey Benfer of Raritan Bay Brewing Company.
The guidelines are updates to a 2012 law that allowed breweries to serve their products on-site.
Bar and restaurant owners have voiced concern that the breweries are diluting the value of their liquor licenses, which are limited in number and can cost well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.