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B.C. wineries, breweries and distillers can now sell each other’s products

Sales of off-site libations capped at 20 per cent
distill
Charles Tremewen and wife Rita Tremewen are excited about being able to sell beer and wine at their Long Table Distillery. Photo Glen Korstrom

B.C. wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries that have lounges are now able to sell alcoholic products that they do not produce, thanks to new regulations that the B.C. government announced Tuesday.

Previously, the only wine that wineries could sell in their lounges was product made on site. Brewers and distillers faced the same restriction of only being able to sell their own products.

“This is really cool,” Long Table Distillery owner Charles Tremewen told Business in Vancouver when informed of the change.

“Now we can go to all the breweries and say, ‘Hey guys, would you be interested in carrying our stuff.’ There will be a lot of collaboration and rubbing shoulders.”

The change also means those who book these lounges for weddings, for example, will not have to apply for a separate special occasion licence in order to be able to serve their guests a variety of alcoholic products.

“We’re doing away with archaic liquor rules,” said Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton, who is seeking other ways to reduce red tape.

In order to ensure that the focus remains on the manufacturer’s own products, sales of other liquor will be capped. Only 20 per cent of the business’s sales each quarter can be from alcohol produced off site.

“This will be a good thing although one challenge will be designing a bar to accommodate draft beers and other things,” Tremewen said.

@GlenKorstrom